Everything you need to know about the group finals.

NEWARK -- Peter "Pete" Wallace Rodino Jr., center, was born Pellegrino Rodino Jr. in Newark on June 7, 1909. He was a Democratic congressman from 1949 to 1989, and rose to national prominence as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Rodino oversaw the impeachment process against Richard Nixon that eventually led to the president's resignation. MORE: Vintage photos around...

NEWARK -- Peter "Pete" Wallace Rodino Jr., center, was born Pellegrino Rodino Jr. in Newark on June 7, 1909.

He was a Democratic congressman from 1949 to 1989, and rose to national prominence as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Rodino oversaw the impeachment process against Richard Nixon that eventually led to the president's resignation.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

He is the longest-serving member U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey.

If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out more glimpses of history in our online galleries on nj.com.

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

Police seeking four to five assailants after late night attack.

Vailsburg Park in Newark (Google Maps) 

NEWARK -- A man was shot after a group of robbers followed him into Vailsburg Park in Newark's West Ward late Thursday, officials said.

The 40-year-old shooting victim, his girlfriend and a friend, identified as a 39-year-old man, all from Elizabeth, were walking on South Orange Avenue, near Oraton Parkway, when several people started following the group, according to a spokesman for the Essex County Sheriff's Office, which patrols the park. 

The woman, also 40, became nervous when she spotted the group behind them on the street, sheriff's spokesman Kevin Lynch said. The trio fled into the approximately 30-acre Vailsburg Park. 

The four to five assailants followed them into the park and robbed the trio, the spokesman said. During the holdup, the 40-year-old man was shot in the lower back.

He was listed in stable condition and expected to survive, officials said. The attackers were described as males in their late teens or early 20s.

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

Rovani Wangko who said he came to the U.S. to flee religious discrimination has been deported, advocates said Friday.

ELIZABETH -- The second of four Indonesian Christians who say they came to the U.S. to flee religious discrimination has been deported, advocates said. 

Rovani Wangko, who has been in the country for 22 years, called his wife Friday morning from a layover stop in Japan, telling her immigration officials had put him on a flight back to Indonesia, said Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, a longtime advocate for the immigrant community.

"His wife called me at a quarter to 6 a.m. this morning," Kaper-Dale said. "She's been going every single night to see him. When she went last night (to the Elizabeth Detention Center) she asked to see Rovani, and they said there's no Rovani here."

"That's how Rovani's life in America comes to an end. With lies, with family breaking, with insensitivity and hate -- the well-developed skills of our government officials and their enforcers," Kaper-Dale of The Reformed Church of Highland Park said.

Wangko was detained by immigration officials last month during a check-in with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Wango had applied for asylum several years ago but missed the deadline for eligibility. 

He was being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center along with three other Indonesian immigrants who had worked out an agreement with ICE to stay in the country so long as long as they periodically checked in. When the four reported in May, they were detained. 

One of the other men, Arino Massie, of Metuchen, was deported last month, leaving behind his wife and a 13-year-old U.S. citizen son who was in school when his father boarded a plane.

Kaper-Dale, who is running for governor, said Wangko was a chef and worked at a Chinese restaurant. Wangko also helped rebuild homes along the Jersey Shore which were destroyed during Superstorm Sandy. 

"The Indonesian community itself to me, it feels like there's great uncertainty about how to face this. Do you try and live a normal life until you get picked up, do you hunker down? These are all things that happen when people are in crisis," he said. 

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

No injuries after gunfire on city street.

NEWARK -- A 21-year-old Newark man was charged with shooting at another man after an argument in Newark's West Ward, police said Friday.

Jihad Anderson (Photo: Dept. of Public Safety) 

Officers with the city police Fugitive Apprehension Team arrested Jihad Anderson without incident Thursday, city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Anderson was charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses in the April 28 attack, according to Ambrose. 

Police rushed to reports of shots fired around 11:30 p.m. on Columbia Avenue, near Plymouth Street, where they found a man who was shot at, authorities said. The man was not struck by gunfire. Authorities did not disclose what sparked the argument they say led to the assault.

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

Officials identify 17-year-old boy killed by truck.

NEWARK -- A 17-year-old high school senior died after he was struck by a tractor-trailer as he returned home from his prom late Thursday in Newark, officials said.

Christopher Gibbs, who attended the city's Barringer high school, was crossing McCarter Highway, near 4th Avenue, when he was hit by the truck around 11:30 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a joint statement.

The truck driver stopped, called for help and tried to provide aid to Gibbs, the officials said. Emergency crews rushed the teen to University Hospital, where he died around 12:20 a.m. Friday.

Authorities said the driver has not been charged. More details were not immediately released.

Gibbs was hit along a mostly commercial and industrial stretch of the busy, four lane roadway. 

Barringer students celebrated prom night at The Manor in West Orange.

Gibbs was the second Newark Public Schools student killed this week in the state's largest city. Rashawn Cooper, 16, who attended Weequahic High School, was shot to death Tuesday in Newark's South Ward.

Last year, a 25-year-old Rutgers University law student was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver as she crossed a different section of McCarter Highway. 

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

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Our reporters' picks for the clutch situations

Everything you need for the Group Championships.

More than 4,600 of the state's best athletes will be in action this weekend as New Jersey's track and field season heads into its final stretch for 2017. 

The NJSIAA Group Championships will be held at two locations Friday and Saturday, and the top six finishers in each event will keep their seasons alive and advance to the Meet of Champions, which will be held June 10. 

NJ Advance Media is on hand at both Egg Harbor and Northern Burlington. Groups 1, 4 and Non-Public A are competing at Egg Harbor while Groups 2, 3 and Non-Public B are at Northern Burlington. 

Below, you will find links to live coverage, results, stories and photo galleries throughout both days of competition. Make sure to check refresh often and check back frequently for the freshest content. 

Action begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. 

EGG HARBOR
Groups 1, 4 and Non-Public A
• LIVE updates

NORTHERN BURLINGTON
Groups 2, 3 and Non-Public B
• LIVE updates

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

An East Orange man has been charged with knocking out a coworker during an assault in Kearny and he made his first court appearance on the charges on Wednesday.

JERSEY CITY -- An East Orange man has been charged with knocking out a coworker during an assault in Kearny and he made his first court appearance on the charges on Wednesday.

Aquil J. Downey, 33, of South Clinton Street, is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly punching the man in the face and knocking him out on May 16. The man also suffered a separated shoulder and a cut to his lip that required stitches, the criminal complaint says.

The complaint did not say where the two work.

Downey appeared in Criminal Justice Reform Court via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, the state moved to detain him through the course of his prosecution and a detention hearing is scheduled for Monday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.

The defendant's next hearing in the matter is scheduled for July 19. 

Kaci Hickox, the nurse who returned from West Africa just as a wave of fear about the emerging Ebola virus crested, sued over her state-ordered quarantine, which she claims was medically unnecessary.

The nurse who filed a lawsuit against the governor after she spent three days quarantined in a New Jersey hospital out of concern she might have Ebola has reached a "settlement in principal," according to court documents.

No details of the settlement were included in a letter to trial judge James B. Clark III, who was handling the civil rights lawsuit filed by Kaci Hickox against Gov. Chris Christie and three administration officials.

In the lawsuit, filed in October of 2015, Hickox, who worked for Doctors Without Borders,  says her rights were violated "for political gain" when she was placed in "Christie's private prison." At the time of her quarantine, Christie was widely considered to be poised to enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

At the time of the episode, Christie was dismissive of her situation, saying, "I've been sued lots of times before. Get in line. I'm happy to take it on." He apologized for her inconvenience, but insisted his actions were necessary to protect public health.

The timetable for a final settlement was not included in the letter to the court from Ronald L. Israel, the attorney representing Christie and the other three officials. He could not be reached for comment.

Reached by email, Hickox, who now lives on the West Coast, said she expected to see a conclusion to her suit by the end of the month.

MORE: Read Kaci Hickox's lawsuit against the Christie administration

Hickox was an infectious disease public health nurse who was returning to her home in Maine on a Friday afternoon in October, 2014, after a month-long stint helping treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.

She landed at Newark Liberty International Airport just as both Christie and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo were announcing a strict new policy on handling travelers from West Africa nations where Ebola was present.

When Hickox was pulled aside for a health screening upon landing, a forehead-scanning thermometer registered a slight fever. Because of that, she was held at the airport for several hours before being transported to University Hospital in downtown Newark.

Once there, she was placed in quarantine in a clear-plastic isolation tent within the hospital - even though she didn't register any fever when doctors took her temperature by conventional means. An Ebola test announced the next day was negative.

She remained at the hospital the next two days while Doctors Without Borders and two civil-rights lawyers fought to get her released. She was finally discharged on Monday morning and escorted by New Jersey EMTs to her home in Maine.

In her lawsuit, she sought damages of $250,000 - $2,000 for each one of the 80 hours she spent in the hospital against her will, along with another $90,000 in punitive damages.

Since the lawsuit was filed, Hickox has continued to voice her displeasure with how she was treated during that episode, which drew national attention.

She recently spoke at a Harvard Law School conference, saying, "Sitting in a tent in New Jersey and then having a state trooper parked outside my home in Maine, I learned how vulnerable we are when our civil liberties are taken away and we are not ensured due process."

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

NEWARK-- The head of the Small Business Administration applauded the President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord during the first leg of a nationwide tour on Friday that began with a visit to a family-owned chemical manufacturer in Newark. "We're reducing our carbon footprint and have been doing that... I'm certainly on board and want to be continually supportive as...

NEWARK-- The head of the Small Business Administration applauded the President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord during the first leg of a nationwide tour on Friday that began with a visit to a family-owned chemical manufacturer in Newark.

"We're reducing our carbon footprint and have been doing that... I'm certainly on board and want to be continually supportive as (Trump) moves forward to say there are parts of (the deal) we may need to renegotiate or take a look at again," Linda McMahon said.

The Paris accords were signed in 2015 under former President Obama in an effort to reduce the the global carbon footprint. Trump slammed the deal for placing arbitrary environmental standards on businesses. 

Trump's decision to withdraw sparked swift pushback from some New Jersey politicians. On Friday, the Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fulop and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer both restated their commitment to the deal. 

But in Trenton, Governor Chris Christie, who campaigned for McMahon during her 2012 Connecticut Senatorial run, expressed support for the president.

McMahon, the billionaire co-founder of the WWE, was in New Jersey for the first stop on her Ignite Tour in which she'll visit more than 60 small businesses nationwide, starting with Newark-based restaurant Mompou Tapas and the 130-year-old business Atlas Refinery, Inc. The company manufactures environmentally-friendly chemicals used in the tanning of leather goods. 

The company's owners, Steven Schroeder Sr. and Steven Schroeder Jr., gave McMahon a tour of the headquarters before talking about how the SBA helped keep their business afloat on multiple occasions.

After Superstorm Sandy dumped nine feet of water from the Passaic River into the facility's boiler room in 2012, the SBA loaned $388,000 to Atlas Refinery, Inc., the owners said. 

"All of our historical records, pictures and documents were lost... It was devastating... (but) we came back strong," said Chairman and CEO Steven Schroeder Sr. 

Two years later, the company used a $1.7 million SBA Export Working Capital Program line of credit to help finance its export transactions.

Following her Senate confirmation in February, McMahon said she spent the first few weeks on the job "understanding the breadth and reach of the SBA." She said she expects business owners to share gripes about "regulations, taxes and the high cost of healthcare" during her two-year tour.

Asked about her plans for the agency, McMahon--who once backed an Obama proposal that could scrap the SBA-- said she wants to educate more businesses about available government resources, including export loans and the disaster relief program.

"Businesses sometimes generation after generation after generations feel our economy, they're the backbones of our economy, they're the engines of our economy," McMahon said. "I want to hear from small businesses around the country as to what their issues are, what's helping them grow (and) how we can be more helpful to them."

Newark Liberty was partly evacuated Sunday after a pressure cooker was found

NEWARK-- A pressure cooker discovered abandoned near a trash can at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday, prompting a security alert, was not left there by a would-be terrorist, authorities said.

Instead, the New Jersey man was trying to discard the device after being told he could not bring it aboard his flight, according to an official familiar with the incident and published reports. 

Suspicious device found at Newark Liberty 

The man, who is relocating to Texas, tried to bring it on his flight as a carry-on. When the man, identified only as someone in his 40s, was told that he could not, he attempted to throw it away. He was later identified from security footage.

The cooker was discovered by an American Airlines employee at Terminal A, prompting a partial evacuation of the airport, WABC 7 reported. 

After interviewing the man, authorities determined there was no criminality involved.

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

Sen. Booker, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and other elected leaders stood in Newark vowing to continue fighting for environmental justice. Watch video

NEWARK -- A day after President Trump announced his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, national, state and local leaders gathered in Newark to decry the move and vowed to continue the fight for environmental justice. 

Newark -- and urban centers like it -- they argued, have the most to lose. 

"Newark is ground zero for climate change and so many of us will suffer disproportionately from Trump's decision," said School Advisory Board member Kim Gaddy, who is also an environmental activist. 

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. Rep. Albio B. Sires, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and others gathered at the Ironbound Early Learning Center Friday, a few miles from a Superfund site, in a city where asthma rates among children are three times as high as in suburban towns, according to city leaders.

"This strikes at the heart of the safety, well being, economic opportunity of the community I stand in now, and cities and communities all across the country," Booker (D-N.J) said. "This is not global warming for them simply, this is not about the melting of ice caps for them simply, this is about the health of our children and the economic opportunity for our communities."

Booker called Trump "a villain when it comes to his own people" for his decision to pull out of the international agreement among 195 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Other elected leaders and nonprofit leaders warned that Trump's policies and proposed budget would slash public education, public housing and much-needed community development grants from places that need it the most. 

"Communities that are wealthy can continue fixing their infrastructure," said Sires (D-8th Dist.). "But communities like ours ... we become second tier."

'We live in death zones'

Gaddy, whose three children grew up in Newark and have asthma, said residents should not suffer because of where they live. 

"I witnessed first hand my child having an asthma attack, I would wish that on no parent in this room," she said. "And why? Because of the zip code that I live in? Why? Because of the disproportionate amount of pollution that we suffer from in our urban cities such as Newark? I say no."

Ederle Vaughan, 42, a Newark resident said her three children also have asthma. 

"Who's going to go after the people who are polluting?" she asked. 

Mayor Ras Baraka said in a two year period there were 27,000 emergency room visits for children with asthma in the city. He said asthma rates have only increased in the last few years. 

Baraka said he would work to pass local policies to reduce emissions and be a leader in renewable energy and efficiency. 

"Our cities are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. And in the same way that Newark and other cities have declared ourselves sanctuaries to protect undocumented immigrants from misguided Trump policies, we are also collaborating to defy the Trump Administration efforts to torpedo climate change initiatives," Baraka said. "The world cannot wait -- and neither will we."

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

NEWARK-- A 22-year-old city resident was arrested Thursday and charged with weapons offenses after police said he was found in possession of a loaded handgun. Officers patrolling near N. 5th Street and 6th Avenue saw David Gaffney with the weapon, according to police. Gaffney allegedly dropped the gun and ran when he noticed officers and was caught after a brief...

NEWARK-- A 22-year-old city resident was arrested Thursday and charged with weapons offenses after police said he was found in possession of a loaded handgun.

David Gaffney (Newark police)  

Officers patrolling near N. 5th Street and 6th Avenue saw David Gaffney with the weapon, according to police. Gaffney allegedly dropped the gun and ran when he noticed officers and was caught after a brief chase.

Police also recovered the gun, a .380-caliber.

In addition to the weapons offenses, Gaffney was also charged with resisting arrest.

Here are officers who once oversaw those who broke the law but are now accused of, charged with or convicted of breaking the law.

The owners of the independently-operated market hope to open another location in Garwood

BELLEVILLE -- Growing up, Stephanie Kim and her Korean family travelled the world sampling everything from platanos to French pastries. A decade later, their palettes inspired the launch of Bell Farms supermarket in Bellville.

On Thursday, the 30-year-old and her father Kevin Kim held the market's official grand opening including a ribbon cutting with the mayor and other town officials.

"(The market) is a little piece of me," said Stephanie Kim, who previously worked as an executive chef for Google. "If you look at the cheese selection, you're going to find Manchego cheese and Gruyere cheese. You're going to find all of these unique products that other supermarkets don't carry." 

"What my father had envisioned was a farmers-style market," Kim said. "When customers walk in, we want them to feel like they're family too."

Trader Joe's to open another store in N.J.

Bell Farms is truly a family affair. Stephanie Kim-- a self-described "foodie"-- is the store's food and beverages manager, while her father is owner and her younger sister serves as the company's Human Resources director.

The supermarket operates under Key Food, a chain of independently-owned stores that sell fresh produce in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Virna Liguori, a 37-year-old Bloomfield woman who visited the grand opening, said the new shop fills a void in a town short on affordable and easily accessible supermarkets.

With almost 36,000 residents, Belleville is home to two other major grocery stores: a SuperFresh and a nearby ShopRite.

"A lot of people don't drive. There are people who can't make it to ShopRite," Liguori said. "Also there's a big ethnic community here. ShopRite does have some Spanish foods, but here, I found the ingredients to make mole."

After switching hands three times in the last five years, town officials said they are relieved the building at 414 Main Street is no longer vacant.

Fine Fare Supermarket most recently occupied the space, but had closed. Before that, the building housed Food Basics, a chain store owned and operated by A&P that was sold off when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2015. 

"I'm sure the (Bell Farms) market will bring business to town," said Mayor Ray Kimble. "It's important we're keeping the property not vacant."

The Belleville store is the only Key Food co-operative that goes by the name Bell Farms. It's one of seven other Key Food franchises owned by Kevin Kim throughout New Jersey and New York under the name SuperFresh, which the company acquired from A&P.

In the coming year, the Kim family hopes to open another Bell Farms in Garwood.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Dwayne Johnson lost a multi-count appeal to overturn his sentence and shorten his 54-year prison sentence.

NEWARK -- A man serving a 54-year sentence for stomping a man to death on a city street during a 2013 altercation has lost an appeal arguing he was unfairly convicted of the crime, and too harshly punished for it.

Dwayne Johnson contended, among other claims, that a cell phone video capturing the fatal attack of Terrence Everett should not have been admitted into evidence because it unfairly influenced jurors. The appeal also questioned expert findings that the man's death was caused by Johnson's beating.

The three-judge appeals court panel rejected those arguments and ruled the video evidence was crucial to the jury's decision.

"The fact that the video was disturbing and upsetting does not detract from the fact that it was legitimately a part of the State's proof of defendant's criminal state of mind," the judges wrote.

Court to reconsider 25-year sentence in stabbing death

During the trial, Johnson's attorney had argued there was no proof that he caused Everett's death, saying the man was overweight, had a heart condition, and was on PCP at the time of the beating.

"Viewing the cell phone video and eyewitness and expert testimony as a whole...there was ample evidence on which a reasonable jury could find defendant guilty of first-degree murder," the appeals court ruled.

Johnson was convicted in November 2014 of killing Everett during a January 2013 broad daylight altercation near the intersection of Avon Avenue and South 20th Street.

The video showed Johnson repeatedly beating and kicking Everett in the head as he laid on the ground. He then rifle through his pockets, and left.

Officials have said the two men were engaged in an ongoing fight that started over a comment about cigarettes several weeks earlier.

In the appeal, Johnson argued his 54-year sentence was excessive and improperly assigned, but the judges found "no error" in the sentencing.

Students celebrated at The Grove in Cedar Grove.

CEDAR GROVE -- Nutley High School's Class of 2017 celebrated senior prom Friday night at The Grove in Cedar Grove.

Hundreds of students dressed in gowns and tuxedos, and arrived ready to eat, dance, mingle with friends, and have fun. 

Check out the gallery above to see moments from the Nutley High School Class of 2017's prom. And, see where and when other seniors from Essex County high schools will be celebrating here.

MORE PHOTOS

Prom season is in full swing and NJ.com is capturing the moments for many New Jersey high schools. Check back at nj.com/essex for other local high school prom coverage in the coming weeks.

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

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for a link in the photo caption. You'll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

SHARE YOUR PROM PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let's see your prom photos. Post your pictures on Twitter and Instragram with #njprom. We'll retweet and repost our favorites on Twitter @njdotcom and Instagram @njdotcompix.

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

Who shined in Friday's action?

Mayor Robert Jackson applauded the candidates for passing a test containing U.S. history, geography and civics that a third of Americans fail.

MONTCLAIR-- Islam Mustaf said his heart sank while walking out of an interview for his dream internship at the United Nations. The reason? The 21-year-old college student from Egypt was rejected after the questioner learned he was not yet an American citizen. 

"They reviewed my file and saw I wasn't a citizen, and they couldn't (accept me)... It was really hard," Mustafa said. 

But on Friday, the doors of opportunity swung open for the Seton Hall diplomacy major. He was one of 24 immigrants from 19 different countries who became naturalized U.S. citizens during an inaugural ceremony hosted by the the Montclair Art Museum in conjunction with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Mayor Robert Jackson, who delivered the keynote address, applauded the candidates for passing a test containing U.S. history, geography and civics that a third of Americans fail.

"You saw a vision for yourself and your family and your lives and you went after it. You've taken major steps to get here," Jackson said. "I want you to take those seeds of success, of courage and that vision and apply it to your life here in the United States."

To apply for U.S. citizenship, you must first be a green card holder and have resided in the U.S. for at least five years.

New Jersey was among the top 10 states where 73 percent of all newly-naturalized citizens resided in 2016, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Sixteen percent of new citizens in 2016 lived in Newark, Jersey City, New York and the NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area. 

Other new Americans included 64-year-old nanny Irma Naya from Uruguay, who said her employer encouraged her to apply for citizenship after Donald Trump won the presidency in November. 

Naya immigrated to the U.S. with her three daughters and worked in a restaurant before meeting Shari Dreier and her husband-- a pair of lawyers from Glen Ridge whose children Naya cares for. It took Naya seven years after coming to America to receive her green card and then more recently, seven months of studying for her citizenship test. 

"This is a relief," 51-year-old Dreier said of Naya's new status. "(My husband) and I are both lawyers, so we're risk averse. I didn't ask (about Naya's citizenship) over the years, but more recently, it felt like a more pressing matter." 

Even for onlookers, it was an emotional event.

Osanna Urbay, the museum's registrar who immigrated from Cuba 60 years ago, led the Pledge of Allegiance and watched as the 24 candidates walked across the stage for their certificates-- a moment she described as "moving." 

Urbay said she fled from Communist Cuba in February 1966 at 16-months-old with her father and mother. She became a U.S. citizen at age 8 while in 2nd grade.

"My parents wrote a note to my teacher asking to be excused from class that day because I was going to become a citizen," the 53-year-old from West New York said. 

Museum Director Lora Urbanelli said the gallery was already looking into hosting its second naturalization ceremony next year.

Other members of the Montclair community, she said, got involved in the event as well, with Whole Foods and Daughters of the American Revolution donating breakfast food and gift bags. In total, they received about $400 worth of donations. 

"Freedom of expression is something we celebrate every day and we wanted to make our community of new citizens feel really welcome," Urbanelli said. "It's really heartwarming."