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Absolute perfection: Softball pitcher strikes out every batter in playoff game (VIDEO)

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Every batter Faieta faced struck out.

There have been dozens of no-hitters this season, and even some perfect games. But the most perfect game of the year on Friday.

Cedar Grove sophomore Mia Faieta struck out all 21 batters she faced in a 4-0 victory over North Warren in the NJSIAA/Wilson Sporting Goods North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 semifinals.

Gianna Kubu was 2-for-3 and drove in three runs for Cedar Grove, providing all the runs Faieta would need as she was completely on her game.

Nicole Webb of Manchester Township has the record for most strikeouts in a seven-inning game as she had 22 in 2003 due to a wild pitch after a strikeout. But she didn't do it in a state tournament game like Faieta.

Cedar Grove moves on to face Essex County rival in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 final on Tuesday.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


Baseball: Statement wins, upsets and surprises in the state tourney through Fri., May 26

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Highlighting the best moments and performances from the quarterfinals of the state baseball tournament on May 26.

Softball: Statement wins, upsets and surprises from Round 3 of the playoffs

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What are the biggest stories of the state tournament thus far?

Is Passaic River polluter avoiding clean up? Booker, Menendez push Argentina for answers

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The Senators sent a letter to the Argentine Ambassador to the United States Martin Lousteau, asking for a meeting to discuss the state-owned oil companies responsibilities to clean up the rive.r

Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez have requested a meeting with the Argentine Ambassador to the U.S. to discuss whether the country's state-owned oil company is trying to dodge its responsibility to clean up the polluted Passaic River.

The Argentine oil company, YPF S.A, declared bankruptcy for its subsidiary, Maxus Energy Corp -- one of the companies responsible for part of the $1.38 billion cleanup for dumping carcinogenic toxins into the river, according to federal officials.

"This bankruptcy filing left many in New Jersey with concerns about YPF's role in the bankruptcy proceedings, and whether the filing is motivated by a desire to evade environmental cleanup liability," the Senators, joined by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), wrote in a May 26 letter to Ambassador Martin Lousteau

Maxus, previously known as the Diamond Alkali Company, operated a plant along Lister Avenue in Newark starting in the 1940s, producing agricultural chemicals that contaminated the water. That included dioxin, a byproduct of Agent Orange that was used during the Vietnam War.

State lawmakers previously issued a resolution urging an investigation into YPF, saying their actions could set a dangerous precedent for other companies wanting to skirt cleanup obligations.

YPF could not immediately be reached for comment. But during a joint meeting of the environmental legislative committees last month, YPF handed out a statement denying the company's role in polluting the river, according to NJ Spotlight.

The statement also said the company offered to pay additional dollars for cleanup during the bankruptcy proceedings and blamed another big corporation for trying to shift the liability to them, the report said. 

The Passaic River is one of the most polluted sites in the nation. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the largest cleanup plan for the area, calling on 100 companies that contributed to the contaminated to pay for it. 

"After enduring decades of contamination, the community surrounding the Passaic River deserves full and comprehensive remediation and each responsible party should be held accountable to pay for it without further delay," the May letter states. 

The letter said that for years YPF "appears to have stripped billions of dollars out of Maxus" and shortly after the EPA announced the toxic clean up, Maxus filed for bankruptcy.

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

Suspicious item prompts partial evacuation at Newark airport

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Port Authority police and Essex County bomb squad responded Saturday.

NEWARK -- A Newark Liberty International Airport terminal was reopened after a suspicious package prompted a partial evacuation of the area Saturday afternoon, officials said. 

The item was found at Terminal A on level 3, according to Port Authority police spokesman Joe Pentangelo. Authorities initially cleared the area around 4:30 p.m., but later said the package was found not to be a threat and reopened the terminal. 

"Package has been cleared by authorities at Terminal A at Newark Liberty Airport. Passengers should expect some residual delays," the Port Authority said on Twitter.

The Port Authority police union said the item was a pressure cooker, but it did not pose a threat. Witnesses posted photos on social media showing the item near a trash bin in front of the terminal. 

Officials did not have additional details Saturday.

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

 

Apartment fire displaces 50 residents in Orange

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The American Red Cross is helping several families who were displaced when a fire broke out in their building Saturday afternoon.

ORANGE -- Fifty residents were displaced from their homes on Saturday after a fire tore through an apartment building on Berwyn Street at around 1 p.m. and spread to the building next door, officials said. 

One firefighter was injured in the three-alarm blaze with burns to his hands and debris in his eyes. He was taken to St. Barnabas hospital, said city spokesman Keith Royster. 

Royster said there were six apartments in each building which were all quickly evacuated by the fire department. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Royster said.

The American Red Cross is assisting several families displaced by the fire. Erica Viviani, a spokeswoman with American Red Cross New Jersey Region, said five disaster responders were on scene meeting with families.

"They are meeting one on one with the families that were affected and finding their immediately emergency needs," she said. Viviani said the situation remained "fluid" and it was not clear how many families would need shelter.

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

 

2 dead after separate shootings in Essex County

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At least one other person shot in state's largest city.

ESSEX COUNTY -- Separate shootings left two people dead about 20 minutes apart in Essex County Saturday night, officials said.

Gunfire erupted around 8 p.m. on the 400 block of Grove Street in Irvington, near Dassing Avenue. One person, identified only as a male, was killed in that shooting, said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly, of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit.

Another person was fatally shot near Littleton Avenue and South 15th Street in Newark, according to Fennelly, who said the victim was a male.

At least one other person suffered non life-threatening injuries in the Newark shooting, authorities said.

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

Fennelly said detectives were in the early stages of the investigations and additional details were not immediately available.

Police records show murders are down this year in Newark from 39 killings through late May of last year compared to 20 slayings to date this year.

Saturday's shooting marked the third reported killing of the year in Irvington. Last year, the township saw a significant decline in homicides and shootings

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

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

 

Your neighbors lean red or blue? How many Republicans and Democrats are in all 21 counties

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Here's a breakdown of which political party dominates in each of New Jersey's 21 counties.


Made in Jersey: Local company was part of lunar landing

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The American flag was about 70 years old when brothers Benjamin and Edward Annin founded Annin Flagmakers in New York City in 1847. After the Civil War, business boomed as private citizens began, for the first time, to display American flags outside their homes. Annin's business surged again following America's entry into World War I in 1917. All this...

The American flag was about 70 years old when brothers Benjamin and Edward Annin founded Annin Flagmakers in New York City in 1847.

After the Civil War, business boomed as private citizens began, for the first time, to display American flags outside their homes. Annin's business surged again following America's entry into World War I in 1917.

All this business caused the company to outgrow its digs in Manhattan; Annin built a plant on Bloomfield Avenue in Verona in 1919. The facility featured the most modern equipment available at the time, including mechanized die cutters and motorized sewing machines. The Verona plant remained in operation until June 2013.    

Over the years, the company had a number of significant commissions, including flags for the opening ceremonies of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 and the American flags that were first planted at the North Pole (in 1909) and South Pole (in 1930). Though not specifically made for the purpose, Annin even manufactured the flag that was raised atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, captured in the timeless photo by Joe Rosenthal on Feb. 23, 1945.

And, on July 20, 1969, Annin was able to make a claim that was literally out of this world; the company supplied a flag for NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing mission. So, one of its flags was the first to "fly" on the surface of the moon.

The effect of the flag stretched in a breeze was achieved, incidentally, by way of a metal rod that extended the top of the flag away from its support pole. There are no breezes on the moon.

In addition to its corporate headquarters in Roseland, Annin has manufacturing facilities in South Boston and Cobbs Creek, Va., and Coshocton, Ohio. The company produces more than 3 million full-sized American flags every year, while also making millions of smaller versions of Old Glory.

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

The war story of one man who saw it all | Di Ionno

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From Normandy to Nuremburg, a story of survival and victory

Dan Altman spent his 24th birthday knowing it could be his last. It was June 4, 1944, and the young Army sergeant was one of 160,000 Allied troops who would invade the beaches of Normandy as soon as the weather cleared.

A few months later he was in the Hurtgen forest, where German shells reduced trees to stumps and American soldiers had to dig deep foxholes in the frozen ground to avoid the falling timber.

"The worst thing was the cold," he said. "It was below zero all the time. Our machines guns froze up, it was so cold."

 Next was vicious fighting at the Battle of the Bulge.

"I never worried about dying," Altman said during an interview at his Verona apartment. "I worried about staying alive."

For his 95th birthday last year, Altman received the Croix de Guerre from the French government, which learned of his D-Day experience from his granddaughter, Fawn Zwickel.

This year, her birthday gift is the release of "The Forgotten Soldier: Of the Second Wave on D-Day" (History Publishing, 321 pp. $9.99 Kindle Edition), the personal story of her grandfather's survival amid the fiercest battles of the war in Europe.

Zwickel, who lives in Rockaway, wrote it as an homage to Altman and his generation.

"They had the secret sauce," she said as she sat with her grandfather during the interview. "They knew how to endure and survive."

For Altman, his tour of history didn't end on the battlefield. He would later guard Nazi war criminals at the Palace of Justice during the Nuremburg trials, and would be sent to the death camps at Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau and Buchenwald to gather records and other evidence.

 "The bodies were stacked up, at first I thought it was cardboard," said Altman, who turns 96 this year. "They had bodies frozen in railroad cars, all stacked up. They were trying to get rid of them, but they couldn't do it fast enough."

One reason Altman was called to extended duty during the Occupation is that he was fluent in German.

"It's not that much different than Yiddish," he said, which he heard all around him growing up on the streets of Brooklyn's East New York, which had heavy Jewish and German populations.

But like so many World War II veterans, Altman came home and put it all away.

He settled into life with his wife, Rita, started a home improvement business, and then worked in sales for an engineering firm.

"He never talked about Army life," said Rita Altman, his wife of 73 years. "Even in the war, his letters were 'I miss you,' 'I love you.' He never wrote much about what he was doing. Once he wrote that he was angry about the guns, and he got in trouble."

"We had lousy guns," Altman said. "We started with leftover bolt rifles from World War I."

Other than that, there were scant details from Altman, either during the war or after.

"I didn't want to talk about it because I'm here and they're all gone. We lost a lot of guys over there," he said. "Survivor guilt ... I've had plenty of it."

In 2014, Bryce Zwickel, Altman's great-granddaughter had to do a 4th-grade genealogy report. Altman's service record came up on Ancestry.com.

"It was very basic," said Fawn Zwickel, who is Bryce's mom.

But it spurred a memory.

"When I was a kid, he used to rattle off the names of the concentration camps," Fawn said.

She began to wonder more about her grandfather's service and began deeper research. She wrote for his records, but the 1973 military archives fire in St. Louis incinerated 80 percent of the files from both World Wars and Korea. Fawn got what was left of Altman's records and took her hunt to national and military archives in Washington and other places.

She soon learned that her grandfather's unit was part of the 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division, during Normandy and the subsequent push through France and Belgium and into Germany.

She researched the troop movements of that Allied struggle to end the war, and realized her grandfather had a role in some of the most dramatic moments of the European theater.

Next, she sat with him for the details and stories.

Through it, she got to see her grandfather as a young man in his 20s.

"These were just boys, some of whom had not much education, had never been out of their hometowns and were now exposed to these horrors. The emotional part was so raw... ," she said. "The more he talked, the more he remembered. And it was tough because he would jump around a bit, but because of my research I was able to fill in the pieces."

Some of the war images remained indelible in Altman's mind, even after 70 years. At Omaha Beach, he watched the first few men of his landing craft with 75-pounds of gear on their back, step off the ramp and sink to the bottom and drown.

He saw his best buddy, Bronco Grizovich, get shot in the head as they disembarked right next to each other.

"The blood was coming out of his helmet," he said. "I figured, that's it. I'm next."

(Because of Zwickel's research, Altman learned that  Grizovich didn't die. And he cursed "because he never told me was alive," Zwickel said.)

 With all the death around him at Omaha Beach and the Hurtgen, forest he began to feel death was inevitable.

"If I get killed in the morning, at least I get paid for the whole day," he said. "That's the truth. As long as you were alive in the morning, you got paid for the whole day. That was my mantra."

In the Hurtgen forest, he received a letter from Rita about how she became unnerved by wrapping the body of a deceased person at her job as a nurse's aide.

"Me and the boys had a good laugh over that one," he said. "There were dead bodies all around us."

Shrapnel tore through his winter uniform during one shelling in that battle.

"It was popping out all over me -- my back, my shoulders," he said.

And it was there he learned to pray.

"I thought, 'If there's a God in heaven, I believe in you right now ... if you came through, you had to thank God. I never believed in God until that time."

 Zwickel said she wanted to tell her grandfather's story as an example of the "true grit" of that generation, but also for people today to perhaps better realize the trauma of those fighting our modern wars.

"People who go to war are never the same," she said. "I wanted to let his story be known. I'd like people to have a better understanding of what happens to the boys we're sending off now."

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

How bail reform is playing out in N.J.'s largest city

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Law enforcement officials react to how the new rules have been working so far, and look forward to changes the Attorney General announced this week

Newark man charged with stealing bike from Journal Square

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Christopher Williams, 52, had bolt cutters when he was found by police, officials said.

JERSEY CITY -- A Newark man was arrested Saturday night and charged with stealing a bike at Journal Square, officials said.

Christopher Williams, 52, was charged with theft by unlawful taking after he was found with a pair of bolt cutters, said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Port Authority police received a call around 8 p.m. that a man was using bolt cutters to remove a bicycle from a bike rack at Journal Square, Pentangelo said.

He said witnesses gave police a description of the suspect, and a man matching the description was spotted near the bike racks near the Chickpea restaurant at Journal Square.

Police identified the man as Williams and he was placed under arrest, Pentangelo said.

Williams was also wanted for a bike theft at the Journal Square PATH station on April 27. Williams also had three active warrants out for his arrest, Pentangelo said.

He was taken to the Hudson County jail. 

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

Authorities ID 2 men killed in separate shootings in Essex County

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The two men were killed within an hour of each other.

Authorities on Sunday released the identities of the two men killed Saturday night in separate shootings within an hour of each other in Essex County.

Jawad R. Smith, 22, of Newark, was fatally shot just after 7:30 p.m. on the 400 block of Grove Street in Irvington, said Chief Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly.

Arriving officers found Smith unresponsive with gunshot wounds, Fennelley said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:47 p.m.

Roughly a mile away in Newark, city police responded to 15th and Fairmount avenues around 8:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Fennelly said police found two shooting victims - a man and a woman.

The man, 22-year-old Rajee Montgomery of Newark, was pronounced dead at 9:05 p.m. at University Hospital in Newark. The woman was treated for a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening. Authorities did not release her identity.

The two shootings are not connected, Fennelly said. And both shootings remain under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Task Force, which includes officers from Newark and Irvington. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the Essex County Prosecutor's Tip Line at 847-847-7432.

Saturday night's slaying is the third this year for Irvington, which saw a significant decline in homicides and shootings last year. In Newark, this is the city's 20th fatal shooting, though that number is down from this time last year.

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

 

PHOTOS: African-American Heritage Parade in Newark

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The parade made a return to Newark after a seven-year hiatus.

NEWARK -- After a seven-year hiatus, the state's largest celebration of African-American heritage and culture returned to Newark on Sunday.

The featured event of the African-American Heritage Festival in Weequahic Park, the parade kicked off at noon at Lincoln Park and made its way up Broad Street to Lafayette Street, down Lafayette to Mulberry, before it ended at Edison Place.

The parade's grandstand was located at the steps of City Hall. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was this year's grand marshal.

The African-American Heritage Festival continues on Monday. It offers family entertainment and activities, including carnival rides, a petting zoo, pony rides and other vendors. 

We are the champions: These 40 track and field teams won sectional titles in 2017

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Who hoisted the hardware?


Two men wounded in Sunday night Newark shooting

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Police said neither of the wounds was life-threatening

South Orange Avenue Newark.jpgNewark Police say two men were wounded on South Orange Avenue on May 28, 2017.  

NEWARK -- Two men were wounded in a Sunday night shooting in the city, police said.

The shooting took place at about 6 p.m. on South Orange Avenue, said Capt. Derek Glenn of the Newark Police Department.

Glenn said neither man suffered life-threatening injuries, and both were hospitalized.

He did not have details of the how the shooting unfolded or what prompted it.

Initially, Glenn said, there was some confusion and the incident was thought to be two separate shootings because police receive calls from the location where the shooting took place and where the two victims were seen after having fled.

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

N.J. pets in need: May 29, 2017

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If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.  Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care...

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

 Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own. Here are some suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

 If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

More animals in need of adoption can be seen here.

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

Here's how much N.J.'s highest paid CEOs made last year

N.J. proms 2017: See this past week's prom photos from around the state

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Find all of the prom coverage, including last year's photos, on nj.com/prom.

Photographers and reporters from NJ Advance Media are covering proms all around the state. Check out the list below with our most recent prom photo galleries from this weekend. 

Be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

Did we miss a good shot? Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instagram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix

Be sure to check out the best prom photos from May 18-20!

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Expected rain prompting Memorial Day parade cancelations

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Rain is expected for much of the state Monday, with cloudy skies hanging around for most of the day.

Monday is shaping up to be a less than picture-perfect Memorial Day in New Jersey with more wet and unseasonably cool weather on the way, prompting the cancelation of some parades across the state.

Patches of light to moderate rain are passing through the northern half of the state this morning and are expected to ease off as the day continues, but clouds will linger throughout the day and overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Near Trenton, showers are considered likely before 11 a.m., with highs in the mid-60s, according to the National Weather Service.

Radar shows those trying to squeeze in one last beach day may escape the bulk of the rain, with currently overcast conditions from about Brick on south. A chance of rain persists, mainly before 2 p.m., according to the weather service.

A high temperature of about 60 degrees is expected in Newark, with the shore topping out at about 63 degrees. Clouds will hang around through the night, with light showers or occasional drizzle and fog overnight. 

WWII vets to be reunited with Boeing B-29

A coastal flood advisory has been issued for Monday night into early Tuesday morning along the shore.

"Localized roadway flooding is expected," the advisory warns. "Some roads may be closed due to high water."

Metuchen has canceled its parade but will hold a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at the American Legion Fugle Hummer Post, 17 Calvin Place, according to the area chamber of commerce's website.

Madison also called off its parade but plans to proceed with a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Hartley Dodge Memorial Courtroom, 50 Kings Road.

Allendate will instead hold a 10 a.m. service at Brookside School. And Dumont has cancelled its parade and services. 

Brick and Toms River have called off Monday morning events, as well, according to the Asbury Park Press. 

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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