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Ray Brienza, former Star-Ledger horse racing columnist, passes at 80

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Hall of Fame writer was also associate dean emeritus for admissions at New York University's School of Medicine.

23 COLUMNISTS HINDASHRay Brienza, former horse racing writer for The Star-Ledger, passed away Friday after a long illness. He was 80. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)
 

Ray Brienza of South Orange, N.J., a member of harness racing's Hall of Fame as a writer and columnist for The Star-Ledger for nearly 40 years, as well as the associate dean emeritus for admissions at New York University's School of Medicine, passed away on Friday after a long illness. He was 80.

Brienza will be waked at the Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home in Maplewood, N.J., on Monday, Nov. 9 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.

A native of Newark, Brienza began covering harness racing at Newark's Weequahic Park as a copy boy for the now-defunct Newark News in the 1950s, while attending Rutgers-Newark. He moved to The Star-Ledger in 1972, when the News folded, beginning a relationship that lasted nearly 40 years as a writer and handicapper.

He went on to win three John Hervey Awards, as well as the 2004 President's Award from the United States Harness Writers Association, for writing excellence, and his contributions were recognized by the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2007, when he was inducted into its Communicators Corner in Goshen, N.Y.

Brienza had a concurrent career in higher education, spending 31 years at the NYU School of Medicine as its associate dean of admissions and financial aid before retiring in 2004. He took pride in finding the special "jewel" in each applicant and consistently admitted the nation's best students.

Among his numerous accomplishments, Brienza introduced the federal Perkins Loan program to the school and developed it into the second largest in the country. He also grew the Federal College Work Study Program into the largest program at any private medical school, computerized the information system for admissions, and encouraged the growth of student diversity.

Upon his retirement, the school named him an honorary alumnus, Class of 2005, and established the Raymond J. Brienza Scholarship Fund to support needy students of high academic merit.

Prior to joining the NYU School of Medicine, Brienza worked as director of financial aid at NYU's Washington Square campus, after serving as associate director of admissions at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn from 1962 through 1967.

Brienza was a 1957 graduate of Rutgers-Newark, where he earned both a bachelors and, in 1959, a Master's degree in education. He later served on the Board of Trustees for Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, and in 2006 was enshrined in the Rutgers Newark Athletic Hall of Fame.

Born in Newark, Brienza lived in South Orange for nearly 50 years. He was married to his wife, Una (nee Cassidy) for 43 years until her passing in 2002.

He is survived by six children: daughters Evelyn Campbell (husband John); Mary (husband Robert Thomas); Judith "Gigi," and Carol; sons David (wife Bonnie) and Chris (wife Janet), and six grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Raymond J. Brienza Scholarship Fund at NYU School of Medicine. Gifts can be made online at http://nyulangone.org/give/funds/medical-school-scholarships, or checks can be made out to NYU School of Medicine and sent to:

NYU School of Medicine, c/o Erica Campbell, Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, One Park Avenue, 17th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016.

 

Why is enrollment falling at Rider and other N.J. private colleges?

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A NJ Advance Media analysis of state enrollment data shows most of New Jersey's private four-year colleges and universities have lost students since 2009.

LAWRENCE— Spirits were high in September as Rider University held freshmen move-in day.

Gregory Dell'Omo, the private university's new president, was on hand with dozens of enthusiastic upper classmen to help the new freshmen move into their dorms.

But, behind the scenes there was worry.

Freshmen enrollment was down—again. Only 865 new students had registered for classes, nearly 150 less freshmen than the previous year. Rider's total enrollment had been falling since 2009 and there were few signs the numbers would improve.

Last month, Dell'Omo announced Rider was cutting 13 majors and laying off professors. The new president was frank: Rider just didn't have enough students to cover its bills.

"This is a national trend. There is no question about it," Dell'Omo said. "Schools are all going through this and trying to tighten their belts and really allocate their resources in the most efficient ways possible."

MORE: Rider University slashing 13 majors, laying off professors

Nationwide, enrollment has been plummeting at many small and mid-size private colleges. Experts say the reasons are complex. The number of college-age students is falling. The stagnant economy has driven many middle-class families toward less expensive public colleges.

Meanwhile, many small private colleges have struggled to offer the financial aid packages, new majors and other perks that larger colleges offer. They also lack the name recognition and national rankings of their larger competitors.

A NJ Advance Media analysis of state enrollment data shows most of New Jersey's traditional, private four-year colleges and universities have lost students since 2009. Meanwhile, nearly all of the state's public four-year colleges have gained students and grown larger.

Some of the state's smallest colleges have been the hardest hit. The College of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic college in Morristown, saw its enrollment drop nearly 35 percent between 2009 and 2014, according to data compiled by the state Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

The declines were similar at Georgian Court University (down 24 percent), Centenary College (down 21 percent), Drew University (down 21 percent), Rider University (down 12 percent) and most of the small and mid-size private colleges, according to the data.

New Jersey's larger private colleges have fared better. Seton Hall University, Monmouth University and Fairleigh Dickinson University held steady or had small decreases, according to the data.

MORE: Click through the photo gallery above to see increases, decrease at each N.J. private college

And enrollment at Princeton University and Stevens Institute of Technology, the state's top-ranked private colleges, both saw healthy increases of more than 6 percent between 2009 and 2014.

Saint Peter's University, which recently gained university status, and Pillar College, a small Christian college that opened a new campus in Newark, were also able to increase enrollment over the same time period, according to the data. 

Wall Street has taken notice of the struggles private colleges are facing. Moody's Investors Service released a report in September predicting closures and mergers among small colleges will rise in the next few years.

"Enrollment declines and lost market share for smaller colleges continue to spur closures and mergers, as students increasingly opt for larger colleges with greater academic resources," said Dennis Gephardt, Moody's vice president- senior credit officer.

Small private colleges don't have state funding or large endowments to fall back on when money gets tight. So, they depend largely on tuition revenue to stay in the black, the Moody's report said. When enrollment drops, many private schools quickly end up in financial trouble.

Simply lowering admission standards and offering admission to more students doesn't always solve the problem. Many of the small and mid-size private schools say applications and admittances are up, but the number of students choosing to enroll keeps falling.

Righting the ship

At Drew University in Madison, there were plans to cut academic programs due to declining enrollment when new president MaryAnn Baenninger arrived 15 months ago.

Instead of making the cuts, Baenninger decided to revamp the 2,100-student  school's admissions and marketing departments to try to attract more students and retain the ones already enrolled. There are also plans to build a new dining hall to make the campus more attractive and combat the university's reputation for bad food, the president said.

This fall, Drew's enrollment was up and the number of early applications for 2016 looks promising. But it will take time to make up for the 21 percent enrollment decline since 2009 and fix Drew's financial problems, Baenninger said.

2015 New Student Move-In Day at Rider UniversityIn September 2015, Rider University held new student move-in day at Rider University, welcoming a smaller freshman class than campus officials wanted. In this photo, students helping with the move in pose for a group photo with new Rider President Gregory G. Dell'Omo, center, outside Conover Hall. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com )  

"The ocean liner has stalled and it's facing the wrong direction," Baenninger said. "It will take us four or five years to recover."

'Proactive steps'

At the College of Saint Elizabeth, where enrollment dropped from 2,157 to 1,411 between 2009 and 2014, school officials have more drastic plans to reverse enrollment declines. In June, the state's last remaining women's college announced it would go co-ed starting next fall.

The college is also adding new majors and concentrating on attracting international students and transfer students from community colleges.

"We're hopeful that with the move to co-ed that we will increase the number of men, but also increase the number of women," said Sally Cleary, vice president of institutional advancement at the College of Saint Elizabeth.

This year's freshmen class continued the downward trajectory at the school. This fall, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolled 101 new students, about 30 fewer than school officials had factored into their budget.

At Centenary College in Hackettstown, campus administrators are hoping new programs in forensic science, social media and pre-vet studies will help attract more students to a campus where enrollment fell from 2,939 to 2,318 between 2009 and 2014.

But, Centenary officials know the population of 18-year-olds nationwide is expected to decline through the end of the decade, meaning colleges will continue competing for a smaller pool of students, said John Carno, Centenary's vice president of college relations.

"We've been taking proactive steps," Carno said. "But it will be with us for a while."

Staff writer Adam Clark contributed to this report.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark teachers win grant for innovative teaching

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Philip's Academy Charter School teachers received a 2015 Unsung Hero Award from Voya Financial.

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NEWARK -- Philip's Academy Charter School teachers Shanthia Williams, Towada Ito, John Farrell, Scott Geter, Scott Newman, Shamair Todman, Cathy Higgins, Eileen Jahn and Tom Augello have received 2015 Unsung Hero Awards from Voya Financial.

Each year, New York City-based Voya awards grants of $2,000 to 100 teachers in grades K to 8 for their innovative teaching methods. Those teachers are then eligible to be considered for the three top awards as decided by the Educators Advisory Board, made up of six educators from across the United States.

The Philip's Academy teachers were honored as a group for their idea, "Eighth Grade Legacy Production." The teachers have their students work together and use a combination of their math, science, language arts, music, art and physical education skills to put on a production of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

The other New Jersey teachers to receive awards were Susan Marie Terra, a science teacher at Westfield High School and Jordana Scheer from P.J. Hill Elementary School in Trenton.

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

Professor looks to overturn conviction for sex assault of disabled man

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Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield is asking a judge to set aside the jury's guilty verdict and either grant her a judgment of acquittal or a new trial, court documents state

NEWARK -- Rutgers-Newark professor Anna Stubblefield is asking a Superior Court judge to throw out her conviction last month on charges of sexually assaulting a disabled man.

Stubblefield has filed a motion with Judge Siobhan Teare to set aside the jury's guilty verdict and either grant her a judgment of acquittal or a new trial, court documents state. Stubblefield was convicted on Oct. 2 of two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault. The sexual acts occurred in her Newark office in 2011.

The 34-year-old victim, known as D.J., has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak beyond making noises. Psychologists have determined he is mentally incompetent and cannot consent to sexual activity.

But Stubblefield, 45, of West Orange, claimed during the trial that D.J. is not intellectually impaired and was able to communicate through a controversial typing method, known as "facilitated communication." Stubblefield said she and D.J. had fallen in love.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Stubblefield's attorney, James Patton, said the motion is based on how there was "insufficient evidence" to prove Stubblefield knew or should have known D.J. was mentally defective to the point where he could not consent. Patton declined to elaborate on that argument.

Stubblefield's sentencing was scheduled for Monday, but it has been postponed because she still has to be interviewed at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Woodbridge, a facility for persistent sex offenders, according to Patton.

That interview will lead to a psychological report that is expected to address whether Stubblefield is a compulsive sex offender, Patton said. The report will impact how she is ultimately sentenced, he said. Those reports are required for anyone convicted of a sex offense in New Jersey, he said.

Her new sentence date is Jan. 15, court records show. As a first-degree offender, Stubblefield is facing a potential state prison term of between 10 and 20 years on each count for a maximum possible sentence of 40 years.

Patton said he is planning to ask Teare to sentence Stubblefield as a second-degree offender and impose an overall prison term of five years. The potential sentence for second-degree crimes is 5 to 10 years in prison.

"We're going to be asking the judge to be as lenient as possible," said Patton, adding that Stubblefield will be appealing her conviction.

Following her conviction, Stubblefield was remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility to await sentencing.

MORE: Professor found guilty of sexually assaulting disabled man

Stubblefield, who was previously chairwoman of the Rutgers' philosophy department, had been on administrative leave without pay before and during her trial. Her most recent salary was $110,618, according to Rutgers spokesman Greg Trevor.

But Trevor declined to address whether Stubblefield has been terminated in light of her conviction.

"Stubblefield has been on unpaid leave since November 2011. She also was banned from campus and prohibited from interacting with Rutgers students," Trevor said on Friday in an email. "The university's actions concerning Stubblefield's employment status in response to her criminal conviction are confidential personnel matters."

At the center of Stubblefield's trial was the ongoing debate over facilitated communication.

Advocates of the method claim facilitators provide physical support to assist users with typing on a keyboard. Critics have said the technique is ineffective in light of studies showing facilitators influencing the users' messages.

Rutgers professor's sex assault trial startsAnna Stubblefield, 45, a Rutgers-Newark professor of West Orange, who is facing two counts of aggravated sexual assault for allegedly abusing a severely mentally disabled man in 2011. The trial is being heard before Superior Court Judge Siobhan Teare at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark. 9/9/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)  

Stubblefield first met D.J. in 2009 through his brother, then a Rutgers student, who was taking a course of Stubblefield's. During one class, Stubblefield presented a video that dealt with facilitated communication, and the brother later asked her for more information about the method to see if it might help D.J.

Over the next two years, Stubblefield worked with D.J. through the technique. She claimed he was able to communicate through the typing method, including by writing papers that were presented at conferences and essays for a literature class at Rutgers.

Stubblefield said she and D.J. fell in love and ultimately disclosed their sexual relationship to his mother and brother in May 2011.

During the trial, psychologists testified about how they had evaluated D.J. and determined he was cognitively impaired. Based on those expert findings, D.J.'s mother and brother have been designated as his legal guardians.

But on the witness stand during the trial, Stubblefield maintained that D.J. communicated through the technique.

"It was very clear he was the author of his words. He certainly wasn't letting me call the shots or push him around in any way," said Stubblefield, referring to D.J. "He wouldn't let me do anything that he didn't want me to do."

Stubblefield claimed that, while studies in the early 1990s determined facilitated communication was invalid, more recent studies have involved experienced users and facilitators and shown the method to be "a valid communication technique."

But Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Eric Plant, who tried the case, noted during the trial that numerous studies have shown facilitated communication does not work and that several scientific organizations have issued statements that the technique is invalid.

James Todd, a psychology professor at Eastern Michigan University, testified for the state about how every "methodologically sound" study of the technique has determined it to be an invalid means of communication.

"It's become the single most scientifically discredited intervention in all of developmental disabilities," Todd said.

RELATED: Juror explains why professor was convicted of sexually assaulting disabled man

As Stubblefield awaits sentencing, an article she wrote in 2011 about facilitated communication has come under scrutiny. In that article, Stubblefield accused those who criticized the technique of practicing "hate speech."

That article was published in an issue of a journal called Disability Studies Quarterly, which is overseen by the Board of Directors of the non-profit Society for Disability Studies. The issue also included an article allegedly written by D.J.

Board chairwoman Brenda Brueggemann said in an email on Thursday that "we have had a number of queries asking us if we would be reevaluating the articles (either one or both) and considering either 'retraction' or what the publishing industry calls an 'expression of concern.'

"In a few cases we have had not just queries but demands for retraction," Brueggemann said.

In response to those queries and demands, the board on Oct. 29 published a statement on the society's website. The statement was posted on Nov. 3 on the journal's website.

The statement reads as follows:

"The Society for Disability Studies (SDS) Board of Directors, as the final oversight and decision-making body of Disability Studies Quarterly, is aware of the many questions and debate regarding several articles published in the 2011 (31.4) issue. As an intellectual community, centered on scholarship, research, and learning, we are paying significant attention to the issues raised. We have not yet come to a decision. The case itself, regarding the authors, is not yet concluded."

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

New sentences ordered for men who fired at police during chase

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Anwar Crockett and Ali Ibn Karim must be resentenced, because they illegally received both mandatory and discretionary extended prison terms, a state appeals court has ruled

Gavel.JPGAnwar Crockett, 35, and Ali Ibn Karim, 35, both formerly of Elizabeth, must be resentenced, because they illegally received both mandatory and discretionary extended prison terms, a state appeals court has ruled. 

NEWARK -- A state appellate panel has ordered new sentences for two men who received extended prison terms for shooting at police officers in 2010 during a high-speed car chase between Elizabeth and Newark.

Following their convictions on eluding and related offenses, Anwar Crockett, 35, and Ali Ibn Karim, 35, both formerly of Elizabeth, were each sentenced in May 2013 to mandatory and discretionary extended terms.

Crockett was sentenced to 30 years with a 22-year period of parole ineligibility, and Karim was sentenced to 24 years with a 19-year period of parole ineligibility.

But in a decision released on Friday, the state appeals court ordered the two men to be resentenced, because the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that a defendant could not be sentenced to discretionary and mandatory extended terms in the same sentencing proceeding.

That Supreme Court ruling should be applied to Crockett's and Karim's sentences, because the ruling was issued while their appeals were pending, according to the appellate decision.

The appellate judges, however, upheld Crockett's and Karim's convictions and rejected their various arguments about the 2013 trial.

"The car chase exposed the pursuing police officers, innocent pedestrians and motorists, as well as Crockett and Karim themselves to a substantial risk of death or serious injury," the decision states.

MORE: Two Elizabeth men convicted of firing on police but acquitted on murder charges

The jury convicted Crockett and Karim of eluding, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, possession of cocaine and weapons charges. Those offenses were related to the car chase on Sept. 19, 2010.

In a subsequent bench trial, Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin found them guilty of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

Anwar CrockettAnwar Crockett 

At the trial, Crockett and Karim were acquitted on murder and related charges in connection with the Sept. 15, 2010 fatal shooting of Reginald Wilson, 26, and Ishmeal Bowers, 32, both of Newark.

The victims were killed in the area of Concord Street and Sherman Avenue in Newark while sitting in an Audi outside a bar. An alleged shooter purportedly drove the car from the scene, and the vehicle was later found burnt in Elizabeth, according to the appellate decision.

An acquaintance of Crockett and Karim testified at the trial that, on Sept. 16, 2010, Karim told him he and Crockett had been involved in a shooting the night before, the decision states. The acquaintance claimed Karim said the shooting resulted from a "robbery gone bad," the decision states.

At about 3 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2010, police received reports that gunshots had been fired at a red Pontiac in Elizabeth, the decision states. Soon after, Elizabeth police officers spotted the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the car sped off, the decision states.

During the chase, the driver and the passenger both fired guns at the police officers, the decision states. At the time of the chase, the acquaintance testified he saw Crockett driving and Karim on the passenger side, the decision states. The chase ended when the Pontiac crashed in Newark, the decision states.

When Crockett got out of the vehicle and "assumed 'a tactical position to fire' at the officers," several officers shot him, took him into custody and brought him to a hospital, the decision states.

A police officer testified at the trial that he saw Karim climb out of the car after the crash, but Karim was not found at the scene, the decision states. Karim was arrested on Sept. 24, 2010 for two robberies, and he was later identified by the police officer as being the passenger in the car chase, the decision states.

In the Pontiac, investigators found "a handgun and a .9mm sub-machine gun," the decision states. A .9mm shell casing collected from the scene of the double-homicide matched the sub-machine gun collected from the vehicle, the decision states.

The DNA of Crockett, Karim and a third person also was found in the vehicle, the decision states.

Ali Ibn KarimAli Ibn Karim 

Among the arguments made in Crockett's and Karim's appeals, Karim argued the photo array shown to the officer who identified him was "impermissibly suggestive," the decision states. He argued the officer "must have had some information concerning his identification before he was shown the photo array," the decision states.

But the appeals court affirmed a Superior Court judge's findings that there was no evidence to support the contention that the officer knew of Karim's involvement in the police chase, or was shown Karim's photograph before the photo array.

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

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Morris County man charged with exposing himself outside Fairfield CVS

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Shawn Prendergast of Long Valley is accused of making the lewd display to a woman who parked next to him outside the pharmacy Tuesday morning

fairfield-police.jpgFairfield police arrested a Long Valley man for allegedly exposing himself at a Passaic Avenue pharmacy Tuesday morning. (File photo)

FAIRFIELD - A Morris County man was arrested last week after allegedly exposing himself to a woman in a township parking lot.

Shawn Prendergast, 47, of Long Valley, appeared to be "adjusting himself" as officers approached him while he was inside his 2002 Cadillac just after 7 a.m., Fairfield Deputy Police Chief Anthony Manna said.

They were called to a CVS on Passaic Avenue by a woman who pulled up next to Prendergast's vehicle minutes earlier. As she reached over to retrieve an item from her passenger seat, she briefly made eye contact with him before the interaction took an unexpected turn, according to Manna.

"She then alleged that he unzipped his pants and exposed himself to her," he said.

Prendergast was apprehended without incident, and later released pending a Dec. 3 appearance in Fairfield Municipal Court.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Man wanted for role in luxury car theft ring captured in Irvington, held on $1M bond

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Kenneth Daniels was charged last month along with 21 other men who helped steal dozens of exotic vehicles from suburban areas around New Jersey

Screen Shot 2015-11-08 at 6.33.17 PM.pngKenneth Daniels (New Jersey State Police)

IRVINGTON - A man wanted in connection with an international car theft ring is being held on $1 million bail after being captured on Thursday.

Kenneth Daniels had been on the run since last month, when he was officially charged alongside 21 others as part of an international luxury carjacking ring broken up by the State Police and Attorney General's office.

Most of the men have been apprehended, but Daniels was still on the loose Thursday when a team of state troopers and U.S. Marshals tracked him to Irvington. After spotting him on Springfield Avenue, Daniels attempted to flee, but was quickly taken into custody, police said.

He is facing charges including racketeering, receiving stolen property and money laundering, as well as a new rap for resisting arrest.

MORE: International luxury carjacking ring busted by N.J. police, AG says

Authorities have yet to specify Daniels' alleged role in the carjacking ring, which targeted vehicles like Land Rovers, Maseratis and Bentleys parked outside country clubs and fancy restaurants, but he has a history of car theft offenses.

He was locked up in June 2005 on charges of stealing luxury cars in Chatham and ramming them into police cruisers in an attempt to escape.

A judge handed him a 13-year prison sentence the following year, but an appellate court reversed the decision in 2008 and allowed Daniels to walk free on time served.

He is currently being held at the Morris County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond, according to state police.

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

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Middlesex residents get new drug discount program

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Middlesex County is rolling out a new program to residents that provides discounts on drugs at pharmacies for both the residents and their families, including their pets.

 $$ ga05brunswick SaponeMiddlesex County is rolling out a new prescription drug plan for residents. >File photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Middlesex County is rolling out a new program to residents that provides discounts on drugs at pharmacies for both the residents and their families, including their pets.

The county has partnered with ProAct Inc., a company that operates similar programs in six other counties in the states including Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Passaic, Union and Sussex, according to Gerry MacKenzie, head of Middlesex County's Department of Community Services.

MacKenzie said program is offered at no cost to the residents or taxpayers of Middlesex County.

"The discount varies from pharmacy to pharmacy," she said, adding that the program is not insurance and does not replace insurance that a resident may already have.

"However, residents can use the program to cover a drug not covered by his or her insurance," she said.

MacKenzie cautioned that senior citizens should call the county's Office on Aging or the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to find out how the new drug discount card could work with their Medicare benefits.

She said every resident regardless of their age, income or existing health insurance is eligible to use the program and cards are being sent to all residents. There are no pre-requisites or qualifications to take advantage of the program either.

Freeholder Director Ronald Rios said the discount cards are accepted at more than 170 pharmacies in the county at more than 62,000 pharmacies nationwide.

"This plan can help those who have no prescription coverage, minimal prescription coverage or those who must take certain medications that are not covered by their plans," Rios said. "So, even if you have a prescription plan, I encourage you to look into the program to see if it can help you."

He said residents could expect to see a savings from 10 to 20 percent off the full cash price of name brand medications and savings from 20 to 70 percent off the full cash price of generic medications.

Rios said the savings also applies to coverage for pet medications.

Discount cards are being mailed to households in the county and cards will also be available a local [pharmacies as well as county agencies including the Department of Community Services, the Office of Human Services and the Health Services Office, MacKenzie said.

Those with access to the internet and can go to a new web site can check pharmacies to find out which ones are giving the best discounts for the drugs they need as well, she said. The web site will be included in the information provided with the card.

Freeholder Blanquita Valenti, who chairs the county's community services committee, said the new program, "is a way for Middlesex County to ensure everyone, regardless of their health coverage, has access to discounted prescription medications."

MORE: Middlesex County news

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Emergency responders rescue 80-pound puppy stuck on N.J. cliff

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Two-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback fell from the top of a 30-foot cliff to a ledge below, officials said.

MONTCLAIR -- To an 80-pound, two-and-a-half year old Rhodesian Ridgeback, a rocky cliff in Mills Reservation probably looked like a big playground. That is, until he slipped and was stuck on a ledge jutting out from the cliff.

Obi was walking with his owner, Beth Rolland, of Cedar Grove, at about 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 31 when he pulled away and ran off. After Beth, her husband Grey, and two concerned trail runners searched for Obi, they heard his whining from a rocky area in the reservation.

Obi.jpgThe Rhodesian Ridgeback on the cliff's ledge. (Courtesy Beth Rolland)
 

"We were looking for him, and all of the sudden, one of the trail runners saw him up on a ledge, wagging his tail," Grey Rolland said in a phone interview. "He had to have fallen from the top (of the 30-foot cliff)," but was about 10 to 15 feet above the base, Rolland said.

"I knew I couldn't get him down by myself, so we called the police."

Two police officers and four firefighters responded to the scene to help rescue the dog, officials said. Officer Christopher Locklear and Firefighter Scott Bowman climbed the formation to get to the dog, and all on scene worked together to get Obi down safety.

"It was definitely something different for me," Locklear, a 17-year veteran on the force, said.

Obi made it out with just a couple of scrapes, his owner said. Rolland credited the calm response and help from the emergency responders with rescuing Obi. Locklear said he was happy all ended well.

"He's a beautiful dog...I'm just glad there was a positive outcome," Locklear said. "It was definitely a nice thing to go home and tell my son what I did at work today."

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

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Mother rejects plea deal on charges of killing daughter

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Krisla Rezireksyon, 34, of Irvington, has turned down a plea offer that included a 24-year prison sentence in the May 2011 death of her 8-year-old daughter, Christiana Glenn

NEWARK -- With jury selection set to begin this week in her murder trial, an Irvington woman on Monday rejected a plea deal on charges of killing her 8-year-old daughter and abusing and neglecting her two younger children.

Krisla Rezireksyon indicated through her attorney during a hearing that she turned down a plea offer in which prosecutors would recommend a 24-year prison sentence. Under that agreement, Rezireksyon would have to serve slightly more than 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.

"At this point, we're ready to proceed to go to trial," Rezireksyon's attorney, Adrien Moncur, told Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin during Monday's hearing.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti, who is handling the case, said in court on Wednesday that she had proposed a plea offer to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray that included a 17-year prison sentence with nearly 15 years of parole ineligibility. Moncur indicated Rezireksyon was interested in such an agreement.

But Murray ultimately did not sign off on that agreement and the final plea offer involved the 24-year prison sentence, according to Simonetti.

Jury selection in Rezireksyon's trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Rezireksyon, 34, and her roommate, Myriam Janvier, 27, are facing murder and related charges in the May 22, 2011 death of Christiana Glenn, and various charges in the alleged abuse of Glenn's younger siblings, Solomon and Christina Glenn.

Rezireksyon has legally changed her name from Venette Ovilde. Janvier is expected to be tried separately.

RELATED: No 'cult' testimony at trial of mother accused of killing daughter, judge says

After Rezireksyon called 911 to report her daughter was not breathing in the family's Irvington apartment, police officers found Christiana Glenn was emaciated and had an untreated broken leg, authorities said. The two other children were also starved and sustained fractures that went untreated, authorities said.

In an interview later that day with detectives, Rezireksyon said Glenn had fallen while taking a bath two days beforehand, and her leg later became swollen. Rezireksyon said she later applied "sea salt" and "cornmeal and salt" to the girl's leg.

When she found her daughter not breathing, Rezireksyon said she, her two younger children and Janvier prayed over the girl's body for an hour to 90 minutes before she called 911.

When pressed by the detectives about the children's seemingly frail condition, she maintained they were "healthy" and said "they eat normal."

The trial will be based in large part on the women's religious practices and how their faith affected how they cared for the children. Both women have described themselves as Christian and reported speaking with "Christ."

As forms of discipline, Janvier has said they would tie the children to radiators, make them kneel on salt, and sometimes delay feeding them. The women also have indicated their faith influenced what type of food they provided to the children.

But Moncur has argued Rezireksyon was under "delusional spells" due to her pastor's teachings. At the trial, he is expected to present a "diminished capacity" defense, meaning she was suffering from a "mental defect or deficiency" at the time of Glenn's death.

Ravin ruled in September that a defense expert could testify at the trial that Rezireksyon suffered from "diminished capacity," but he could not testify she belonged to a religious cult and had been brainwashed by her pastor.

The judge said those findings of the expert are inadmissible, because they are not supported by factual evidence.

In January, Ravin ruled that Rezireksyon's statement to police would be admissible at her trial after finding she provided a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver of her Miranda rights.

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

Irvington cop seeks to dismiss charges of trying to run down Newark councilman

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Monique Smith, 44, of Irvington, is claiming there was "lack of evidence" presented to satisfy her charges in the alleged attack on Councilman John Sharpe James

NEWARK -- An Irvington police captain is seeking to dismiss the charges against her for allegedly trying to run down a Newark city councilman with her car in January.

Monique Smith, 44, of Irvington, has filed a motion to dismiss her indictment in connection with the alleged attack on Councilman John Sharpe James, according to Smith's attorney, Anthony Pope.

Following a brief court hearing on Monday, Pope said the motion was based on the "lack of evidence" in the case.

"We don't believe that the facts elicited during the grand jury presentment satisfied the elements of the offense," Pope said outside the courtroom, adding that there was not sufficient information "for an aggravated assault in...the use of the car as a weapon."

Referring to James's testimony before the grand jury, Pope said "we don't believe the testimony of the witness satisfied the elements."

Smith was indicted on June 23 on aggravated assault, criminal mischief and two weapons offenses.

MORE: Irvington cop pleads not guilty to charges of trying to run down Newark councilman

Prosecutors have extended a plea offer to Smith in which she would plead guilty to a fourth-degree criminal mischief charge. In exchange for that plea, prosecutors would recommend a sentence of probation without any jail time.

During Monday's hearing, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Cheryl Cucinello also indicated prosecutors would likely approve Smith's admission to the state's Pretrial Intervention Program, a probationary program designed to provide rehabilitation for first-time offenders.

Under the PTI program, if Smith met certain conditions and completed the program, the charges would be dismissed and there would be no record of conviction. Joining the program does not represent an admission of guilt.

But one of the conditions of Smith joining the PTI program would be that she has to forfeit her job with the Irvington Police Department, according to Cucinello.

Given that condition, Pope said Smith was not interested in the program.

Pope also indicated he was still waiting to receive an analysis performed by authorities of paint chips from the vehicles allegedly involved in the case.

The charges against Smith are based on a Jan. 5 incident when she allegedly confronted James near his home in the area of Elizabeth and Pomona avenues at about 11 p.m.

As Smith yelled at him, James got into his car and drove off, police said. Smith then entered her personal vehicle, followed James and repeatedly struck his vehicle with her car, police said.

James drove to his parents' residence on Wilbur Street, where his father, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James, intervened on his behalf, police said.

Smith was arrested and later released from custody after posting ten percent of her $75,000 bail.

The altercation allegedly occurred hours after Smith was promoted to captain during a ceremony at Irvington Town Hall. Township Mayor Tony Vauss has said Smith would be suspended without pay pending an investigation.

Following the alleged incident, James received a temporary restraining order against Smith.

James dropped the temporary restraining order in February after he and Smith entered into a civil agreement that requires her to not contact him, according to James's attorney, Toni Belford Damiano.

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

Solitary confinement for skipping breakfast? Report probes immigrant inmate discipline

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Report examined punishments at the Essex County Correctional Facility.

essexcounty.jail.jpgReport examined punishments at the Essex County Correctional Facility. (William Perlman | The Star-Ledger)
 

NEWARK -- Is solitary confinement a fair punishment for immigrant detainees? If so, is it regulated properly?

A new report from WNYC examines the punishments doled out to immigrant detainees over a two-year period at the Essex County Correctional Facility. The report called disciplinary standards at the jail a, "system of punishment with very little rules."

According to the report, more than half of the acts that garnered prisoners solitary confinement were non-violent. And the punishments given out for the same offenses were often different, the report said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told WNYC that punishments vary depending on the circumstances.

The question comes a few months after an advocate report found solitary confinement unnecessarily harsh. According to "23 Hours in the Box, Solitary Confinement in New Jersey Immigration Detention," a report from the New Jersey Advocates for Immigrant Detainees, the punishment was employed too often, and for too long.

The discussion surrounding immigrant detainees comes a week after President Barack Obama was in Newark to talk about general prison reform.

"The goal is to make sure that folks are fairly punished when they break the law," Obama said to a crowd at Rutgers-Newark.

"But the ultimate goal is to make sure that folks are law-abiding, self-sufficient, good citizens.  And everything we do should be designed towards that goal."

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

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NJSO highlights Philly composer alongside a Beethoven classic: music review

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Jennifer Higdon's "blue cathedral" is a glistening sorbet of orchestral music and the perfect curtain raiser for Beethoven's epic Ninth.

Philadelphia composer Jennifer Higdon is having a very good year. Her first opera, "Cold Mountain", based on the Charles Frazier novel, premiered to positive reviews and good box office returns in Santa Fe this summer. It will next be presented by the Philadelphia Opera in February -- a nice coup for the Brooklyn-born Higdon, who is presently on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music

So it was smart programming by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to use an early Higdon piece as a curtain-raiser to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony this past weekend.

Her glistening sorbet of orchestral music, "blue cathedral," at times it sounds like an audition piece for a Hollywood film score; at other times, like something you might hear on in the background at a new-age bookstore. It opens with bells, then light strings enter underneath an ascending flute melody. This eventually leads to a lovely mini-solo for the concertmaster, played with grace on Sunday afternoon by Brennan Sweet.  

RELATED: Jean-Yves Thibaudet adds serious sparkle to NJSO concert

Soon dissonance creeps in as the music builds to an early climax. Next comes a quick, staccato solo section for the brass -- which sadly the NJSO horn players didn't exactly nail. Some sensitive cello playing restored the piece to good footing, and the ending -- the piece concludes with many of the different musicians shaking Chinese health reflex bells -- provided an odd but incandescent sonic effect.

All of this set the stage nicely for Beethoven's epic, final symphony. Though NJSO's Music Director, Jacques Lacombe, was too muted in his approach to the Allegro, the start of the second movement sounded much better: the phrasing was more nimble, the tempo brisker, and the dynamics between sections sounded both brighter and clearer.

The third movement, the slow, tender Adagio, opened with fine playing by the woodwinds and violins -- under Lacombe's baton it was appropriately sentimental.  Then came time for the famous finale. The timpani-heavy clamor that opens the fourth movement didn't quite crackle, but the cellos, excellent in the Higdon piece, introduced the famous "Ode to Joy" theme with simple grace. Baritone Stephen Powell was the most impressive of the vocal soloists; he displayed lungs for days and articulated Schiller's poetry elegantly. (Tenor Jonathan Boyd struggled to be heard above the orchestra, but emerged with a clear sound when he did.)

By this point in the program, though it was clear that the main event at the NJPAC's Prudential Hall was the Westminster Symphonic Choir.  The 160-strong group shined on Sunday afternoon, singing with expert precision, and -- more importantly -- full passion.  The Rider University-based group has been accompanying major orchestras for decades; but in this concert, after they began singing, it seemed the NJSO was accompanying them.

Lacombe led everyone to a rousing finish -- bringing in the piece at a brisk 62 minutes.  It's worth noting that the outgoing Music Director led the NJSO and the Westminster gang in Beethoven's Ninth five years ago, in his opening concerts as music director.  This weekend's program, then, served almost as brackets to his tenure, or at least an unofficial beginning to his long goodbye. (Five more concert series are scheduled before his farewell in June.)

Who will lead the orchestra through Beethoven's Ninth next, of course, is still unknown -- but the bar has clearly been set very high. 

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Beethoven's Ninth

New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark

Nov. 5 - 8. 

James C. Taylor can be reached at writejamesctaylor@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.

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Controversial Newark fire director appoints son's fiancee as his temporary fill-in

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Tawan Baxter, a chief payroll clerk hired in August, will be at the helm of the city's fire department until Saturday

NEWARK -- Fire Director James Stewart has rankled some in his ranks by naming a recently hired payroll clerk -- who also happens to be his future daughter-in-law -- to serve in his stead while he takes a vacation this week.

Tawan Baxter, who was hired as a chief clerk Aug. 24, was named acting fire director as of 8 a.m. Saturday and is set to remain in the role for one week, according to a Nov. 4 memo obtained by NJ Advance Media.

Fire Chief John Centanni, who signed the memo, is also away and named Deputy Chief Richard Gail was appointed to serve in his stead until Wednesday morning.

According to several sources, Baxter is engaged to Stewart's son Anwar Ahbanawa. A 21-year veteran of the fire department, Ahbanawa is now working in an administrative post in his father's office.

Fire Department spokesman Capt. John Brown said that Baxter was well qualified to temporarily take over for Stewart, having served in senior and executive positions in both the insurance and healthcare fields, including stints at Prudential, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and East Orange General Hospital. He declined to comment on any personal connections she had with department administrators.

"She comes with a very impressive resume, and she's in constant contact with the director," he said.

Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 11.45.11 AM.pngStewart (City of Newark Press Office)

Fire department sources, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, said Baxter had been impressive running the department's payroll and performing other duties three months into the job, but that the announcement that a brand new employee would be overseeing the department had already drawn widespread complaints. As the top civilian official in the fire department, the director oversees discipline, promotions and other policy decisions.

The move is not without precedent in Newark -- former Fire Director David Giordano was known to name his secretary to serve in his stead during absences -- but those moves also caused discord among the rank and file, according to the sources.

"I'm not even sure why he would name her acting director. The rank and file would rather see a qualified person running their fire department for the week," one member of the department said. " It's keeping it in the family."

Baxter, who could not be reached for comment, earns an annual salary of $61,105, according to state civil service records. Fire officials said she will not receive an increase for serving in the interim post.

MORE: Officials mum on Newark Fire Department investigation

Earlier this year, union officials complained about perceptions of favoritism within the department after a labor arbitrator ruled that a longtime battalion chief was denied a transfer to the arson unit because he was white.

Stewart, a longtime fire department captain who oversaw fire code enforcement in the city after retiring, has also faced discrimination claims and attention from law enforcement since being named director in December 2013.

Last year, a Star-Ledger report revealed he was the subject of investigations by both the state and Essex County Prosecutor's Office related to allegations that he tried to give firearms to employees who were not allowed to carry guns, and that he shoehorned an unqualified politically connected candidate into the fire academy.

In July, corruption detectives from the Union County Prosecutor's Office seized documents from Stewart's office as part of a probe into the department's Environmental Dumping Task Force and one of its members, Capt. Anthony Graves.

The status of the three probes is unclear, though no charges or indictments have been filed.

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

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Menendez slams phone scam 'loophole' passed as part of budget

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Menendez held a press conference in Newark Monday.

Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 4.08.52 PM.pngMenendez at Monday's press conference. (Courtesy Menendez's office)
 

NEWARK -- A new law may increase the number of successful phone scams across the U.S. and in New Jersey, according to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who held a press conference Monday in support of repealing the law.

According to Menendez (D-N.J.), the new provision, which allows federal agencies or third-party companies to call people to collect debt owed to or backed by the federal government, was "buried" in the federal budget agreement passed last month. The provision would apply to back taxes, student loans, and other debts, he said.

In a release about the provision, Menendez's office called it a "loophole" that could benefit scammers.

"Not only does this budget provision open the flood gates to more nuisance phone calls interrupting dinner and family time, but it blurs the line between what is legit and what is a complete and utter fraud," Menendez said in a statement about the press conference Monday.

ALSO: 4 of the biggest N.J. phone scams and how to avoid them

"It leads to confusion and--worst of all--it unnecessarily increases the risk of falling victim to a scam."

Menendez joined with law enforcement officials from New Jersey Monday to advocate against the provision, which they say will make it easier for IRS scammers to hit up innocent victims for money they don't owe. Having the government be able to make legitimate debt collection calls - a practice that previously was not allowed - will make it difficult for people to determine which calls are legitimate, and which aren't, they argued.

"To prevent taxpayers from falling victim to these scams, we have been providing them with warnings (including) that the IRS will never call you on the phone and that all correspondences will be through the mail," Leonia Police Chief Thomas Rowe said in a release about the conference.

"This legislation will undoubtedly cause many more people to fall victim to the IRS phone scam as they will be unable to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys."

Menendez is one of 10 senators sponsoring the "Help Americans Never Get Unwanted Phone calls (HANGUP) Act," which would appeal the provision.

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

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N.J. woman headed to prison for penis enlargement death

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Kasia Rivera, 38, of East Orange, was sentenced on Monday to five years in state prison in connection with the May 2011 death of Justin Street, 22, also of East Orange

NEWARK — Before Kasia Rivera was sentenced on Monday to five years in state prison for conducting a fatal penis enlargement procedure in 2011, her attorney, Olubukola Adetula, said she has "accepted responsibity for her actions" and wanted to "move on with the rest of her life."

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor William Neafsey, however, said Rivera may want to move on with her life, but "we still have a man that died."

"A man died because of her recklessness," said Neafsey, adding that "she had no business sticking needles into anyone, specifically sticking a needle into a man's penis."

Rivera, 38, of East Orange, received the five-year prison term after having pleaded guilty on Sept. 8 to a reckless manslaughter charge in connection with the May 2011 death of Justin Street, 22, also of East Orange. Prosecutors recommended the five-year sentence under a plea deal.

Under the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge John Zunic, Rivera must serve slightly more than four years before becoming eligible for parole. She will receive credit for nearly eight months of time served.

Rivera declined to make a statement during Monday's hearing.

MORE: N.J. woman pleads guilty in penis enlargement death

In pleading guilty, Rivera admitted to injecting silicone into Street's penis when he visited her home on Glenwood Avenue in East Orange. The silicone was not the kind used in medical procedures, authorities said.

Authorities have said the injection shot directly into Street's bloodstream, shutting down his organs, and he died as a result the following day. A medical examiner later determined Street died from a silicone embolism, and his death was ruled a homicide, authorities said.

At the time of her guilty plea, Rivera acknowledged she was not trained as a medical doctor and she was neither trained nor licensed to administer the silicone injection.

Rivera, who had worked as a bartender in Irvington, could be deported to her native Jamaica as a result of her guilty plea, authorities said.

During Monday's hearing, Adetula noted how Rivera had been cooperative in the investigation. Adetula said Rivera surrendered to the police when she knew authorities were looking for her, and she provided a statement to detectives about her role in the incident.

Rivera had been preparing to go on trial in May, but the trial was postponed due to alleged jury tampering while jury selection was under way.

At that time, three jurors said they were approached on May 8 by a man associated with Rivera about influencing the outcome of the trial. Two of the jurors said they were offered bribes of $5,000.

One of those two jurors said he gave his phone number to the man and later received three calls from a woman whom he believed to be Rivera.

At a May 12 hearing, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler heard those allegations while interviewing 20 prospective jurors individually. The judge then dismissed all of the jurors from serving on the trial.

Wigler found Rivera was complicit in the attempt to improperly influence the potential jury, revoked her bail and remanded her to the Essex County Correctional Facility.

When she pleaded guilty on Sept. 8, Rivera said she did not participate in the alleged tampering scheme.

Rivera claimed the man, whom she described as a friend, had acted alone in approaching the jurors, and that she didn't ask him to approach the jurors or encourage him to do so.

While the case was still pending, Rivera also was charged in unrelated cases with possession of a stun gun and injecting silicone into another woman's buttocks and breasts up to four times. Under the plea agreement, the charges related to those cases have been dismissed.

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

Bankrupt N.J. hospital accepts $62.2M purchase offer from for-profit Prime

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Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark accepted a $62.2 million bid from Prime Healthcare Services of California that will allow the national hospital chain to acquire the troubled facility in bankruptcy court later this week, hospital CEO David Ricci announced Monday.

TRENTON -- Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark accepted a $62.2 million bid from Prime Healthcare Services of California that will allow the national hospital chain to acquire the troubled facility in bankruptcy court later this week, hospital CEO David Ricci announced Monday.

Prime announced its intention to buy the struggling city hospital nearly three years ago, but the required review by the state Department of Health and the Attorney General's Office remains unfinished. Hemorrhaging cash and employees, frustrated officials from the Catholic hospital filed for bankruptcy in August to expedite the sale.

Prospect Medical Holdings, another large hospital chain from California, offered a competing bid of $63 million to buy Saint Michael's, but the hospital's board of directors determined Prime's deal was better, Ricci said. Prime has committed to spending $50 million in capital improvements over five years -- double its initial offer, he said.

RELATED: St. Michael's Medical Center files for bankruptcy protection

"Saint Michael's is essential to the Greater Newark community, and the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by these quality bidders is testament to the necessity for this community institution," said David Ricci, president and CEO. "We look forward to a bright future under Prime's leadership and thank Prospect Medical Holdings for its valued bid."

Prime upped its pre-auction bid of $49 million by $13 million to recognize that Saint Michael's owes the state $228 million in bonds form when it was purchased by Catholic Health East in 1998. The bank that holds the bonds, Bank of New York Mellon, filed an objection to the sale that said any bid less than $60 million would be unacceptable, said Michael Sirota, Saint Michael's attorney.

The remaining $170 million will be borne by taxpayers via the N.J. Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, which loaned the money.

Regardless of what happens in bankruptcy court on Thursday, the Christie administration must still approve the non-profit hospital's transfer to Prime, determining the sale is in the best interest of residents in the region and that its services to the community will continue.

A health care consultant hired by the the N.J. Health Care Facilities Financing Authority released a report earlier this year saying there were too many hospital beds in the city, but outpatient services were in demand. Navigant Consulting of Chicago recommended Saint Michael's and East Orange General Hospital be turned into outpatient care centers.

Ricci told reporters Monday night he was optimistic the state would approve the sale to Prime because state officials had recently approved the sale of East Orange General Hospital to Prospect Medical Holdings, despite the Navigant report's recommendations.

"I remain optimistic that we can serve this community without any institution having to close. but i can't know the state's thinking," Ricci said.

"There has been discussions the Attorney General and the Department of Health," Sirota added. "Although we have to go through regulatory process, we believe that process will move forward fairly quickly. We are addressing all outstanding questions. Prime has been in the approval process so we are not starting from scratch." 

Prime also has agreed to pursue contracts with all insurers in the state, keep "substantially all 1,400 employees" and add more, and maintain St. Michael's as an acute-care hospital for a minimum of five years, Ricci said.

Prime's latest offer is still less than the $65 million it offered to spend to acquire Saint Michael's three years ago, but later reduced to $50 million, than $43 million when it got a chance to review its financial records.

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

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Archdiocese to demolish Newark's first African-American Catholic church

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Queen of Angels, the first African-American Roman Catholic church in Newark, is structurally not safe and will be demolished by the Archdiocese of Newark.

The church bells will be given to St. Lucy's Church in Newark and Seton Hall University's seminary is getting the pews and the stained glass windows.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology will take the piano and the stations of the cross will be housed in a mausoleum at an Archdiocese of Newark cemetery.

These are they places you'll have to go if you want see what's left of Queen of Angels, the first African-American Roman Catholic church in Newark.

It's been closed for three years, but now it's going to be demolished. The Newark Landmarks & Historic Preservation Commission voted last week to give the Archdiocese of Newark the green light to raze the building, which is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

 The 6-1 decision came after commissioners agreed with findings from an engineer hired by the archdiocese, whose report indicated that the building is not structurally safe and cannot be refurbished.

 "It's pretty obvious it's not a safe building to repair,'' says Bill Mikesell, chairman of the commission.  "It's almost like it has to be rebuilt, but it's their (the archdiocese's) negligence that got it there.''

 Former Queen of Angels parishioners believe that, too. As membership declined over the years, they say archdiocese did nothing to save the building when it began to crumble. The church was closed in 2012, the same year that the roof collapsed and the archdiocese told parishioners the building was too costly to maintain.

News of the commission's approval didn't go down easy.  It never will.

"You just punched me in the gut,'' says Tony Brice, a former church member. 

Anker West, an architectural designer in Newark, says the building appeared to be salvageable after he toured it recently with Matt Gosser, a member of the Newark Preservation & Landmarks Committee, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for preservation of Newark's history. 

Last year, Gosser says he tried to purchase the building from the archdiocese for $50,000 and planned to turn it into a gallery or museum.

"Their engineer's findings should at least be challenged,'' West says."In a normal city, there would be a real hesitation to discard such an important and beautiful piece of history.''

Gosser says his offer was rejected by the archdiocese, which would not discuss its plans for the property when I asked last year. Gosser, who believes the church can be saved, calls this situation demolition by neglect. 

"Whenever a building owner wants a building to be demolished, they stop making repairs to it," he says, "so eventually, nature takes over and they say they have to knock it down.''

Meanwhile, the archdiocese says it has moved forward in talks with A.E. Smith Associates, a New York real estate firm. Steven Belloise, executive director of the office of property management for the archdiocese, told landmark commission members that the real estate company has indicated the land on which Queen of Angels is located on Irvine Turner Boulevard could be used for a charter school.

 "They're very cognizant of our mission, so we feel like the property is in good hands with them,'' Belloise says.

The archdiocese would have torn down the building last year, but the city revoked its demolition permit after learning the church was on both state and national historic registers.

With last week's approval of demolition, the archdiocese agreed to make a donation to the landmarks committee that would be used to fund the preparation of nominations of buildings and city districts to historic registers. Mikesell says the archdiocese's donation will equal 10 percent of the cost of the demolition and 10 percent of the appraised value of the religious items that were removed from Queen of Angels.

It's tough looking at the church now. You can see holes in the roof. Inside, plaster is falling and the columns are weak, according John Dalessio, the engineer hired by the archdiocese. Brickface is peeling off the front. Squatters are inside the grammar school building, the weeds are high and garbage is everywhere.

Cecilia Faulks, a former parishioner, says she turns her head away if she's nearby. She's gone through her stages of grief from sadness to anger - watching her beloved parish deteriorate.

"At this point, I'll be glad to see it torn down," she says. "My heart just aches to see it standing there like that.''

The church members realize there's nothing they can do. In recent years, when they thought the building was about to be razed, they came back to the empty church to reminisce. Many of them have since joined other churches.

Queen of Angels' history is rich and well documented.  It is where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. visited and held meetings for his Poor People's campaign. A racial walk for harmony that the church organized after King was killed drew 25,000 people to the Central Ward.

Known as the beacon on the hill, the church is best remembered for its neighborhood outreach. There were dances and bake sales, fish fries and community plays to complement many activities and programs.

Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the archdiocese, says he's not sure when demolition will begin.

Trust and believe. It won't be long. 

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

High school thespians return to the stage

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Area high schools present their fall theatrical productions.

ex1108schoolwestorange2.jpgThe cast of West Orange High School's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

WEST ORANGE/EAST ORANGE -- Students at area high schools invite the public to join them this week for some fall theatrical entertainment.

Students in the West Orange High School drama department will present William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," with a contemporary twist: The drama will take place in New York City, 2015. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the high school auditorium, 51 Conforti Ave., West Orange. There will be a special free performance 6 p.m. Wednesday for West Orange senior citizens and members of the mayor's Program for Individuals with Disabilities. Admissions to all other shows are $8, $10 at the door with a special $5 student rate at the Thursday night performance.

The Cicely Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts theater arts department will present the drama, "You Shouldn't Have Told," Anne Thompson Scretching's play about sexual abuse in an urban family. Show times are 7 p.m. Friday; noon and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Cicely L. Tyson Secondstage Theater, 35 Winans St. in East Orange. Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors. For more information call 973-414-8500.

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

Are kids better off after $100M? Newark power players talk Facebook donation

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Chris Cerf and Sen. Cory Booker's chief of staff react to comments Mark Zuckerberg made about the donation last week.

zuckerberg.jpgZuckerberg in a file photo.
 

NEWARK — Have kids in Newark really benefitted from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to the city's school system?

In a Facebook post last week, Zuckerberg argued that, overall, they have — and local power players are agreeing.

"Newark students are quite simply better off now than they were five years ago," Sen. Cory Booker's N.J. Chief of Staff Mo Butler said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. Booker was mayor of Newark at the time of the donation, and even joined Zuckerberg and Gov. Chris Christie on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010 to announce it.

Butler went on to cite some of the same statistics that Zuckerberg did in his Facebook post.

READ: Zuckerberg on donation -- "Change in education takes time"

"Look no further than the data for proof that this investment in Newark Public Schools is paying off," Butler said.

"In the last decade, the percentage of black students attending a school that beat the state proficiency average has tripled, and the odds of an African-American child being enrolled in a good school have doubled in the last five years," Butler said, also mentioning increases in graduation and state exam pass rates.

Though hailed in 2010, the donation became controversial as locals questioned where the money went, and whether or not it had any impact. Earlier this year, journalist Dale Russakoff released a book examining the donation, and what it was spent on.

Since the high-profile donation, the school district has been in a tumultuous period marked namely by its fight to regain local control. The state has controlled Newark schools since 1995.

In June, state officials announced that controversial superintendent Cami Anderson would be stepping down, and that former education commissioner Chris Cerf would take over. In a joint statement, Christie and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced that Cerf would lead the district during a transition period back to local control.

In a statement to NJ Advance Media about the course the district has taken over the past five years, Cerf said the Facebook donation was a good thing.

"We agree (with Zuckerberg) that the educators, families and especially the students of Newark have made great strides over the past several years," Cerf said in the statement.

In his post last week, Zuckerberg outlined what he said he learned from the donation, including that change in education "takes time." Cerf acknowledged Zuckerberg's assertion that transforming education in a large city is difficult.

"We also believe that having honest conversations about both the progress and challenges we encounter as a school district are extremely important," Cerf said.

"We look forward to continuing to work with the Newark community to build on the progress that has been made, while partnering to improve how we serve our students and families going forward."

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

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