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30 Best Meals 2015: Ariane Kitchen & Bar in Verona

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This boisterous and lively spot is on our list of top places serving American cuisine.

ON DAY 2 of our best choices in American cuisine, we offer ...

ARIANE KITCHEN & BAR

We love the energy of chef Ariane Duarte and the brilliantly playful energy of her food, but we also love her attitude toward family. "You don't hold them at arm's length, you let them in."

arianeB.jpgAriane Duarte, in one of the colorful, oversized chairs that brighten the dining area at Ariane Kitchen & Bar in Verona 

Duarte's restaurant has always been a family business, with husband Michael as co-owner. (Her aunt's artwork decorates the restaurant walls.) And Duarte and family reveled in a four-game winning streak on "Family Feud" in early 2015. Competing on the show was on Duarte's bucket list; she's been a fan since the '70s.

In 2014, Duarte closed her well-loved elegant and subdued restaurant in Montclair to open a more boisterous and lively spot in Verona. Some favorite signature dishes remain -- the cornmeal-crusted oysters with horseradish, the delicate sashimi tuna flower. But her burger, topped with pickled shallots, just rocks, and the gamy rib-eye is a pretty terrific option as well.


TOMORROW: Cafe Matisse, Rutherford

As for more television, Duarte keeps telling herself, "I'm done, I'm done, I can't." Then, inevitably, she returns. "I'm on the list," she says. "I get a lot of casting calls."

Keep an eye out for an appearance with Bobby Flay. Duarte may believe she's an accidental television star, but viewers beg to differ. She's a natural.

Ariane Kitchen & Bar | 706 Bloomfield Ave., Verona | (973) 744-0533 | arianekb.com


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The secret ingredient at Montclair Bread Company? It's her | The Backgrounder Podcast

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Rachel Crampsey has 3 kids, 3 degrees, a husband and a background in history. Today, she's expanding her business and shares her 4 simple secrets to success.

By Paul Brubaker | The Backgrounder

It wasn't long ago that Rachel Crampsey was giving away the bread she made in her apartment. Today, she is the owner of Montclair Bread Company, a thriving small business and a bakery where people line up down the block to buy doughnuts. 

A turning point in Crampsey's success came in 2012, when she bought a 600-square-foot bakery on Montclair's Walnut Street, while raising three kids with her husband in the midst of a market gripped by gluten-free mania.

nataliechitwood.jpgRachel Crampsey 

"My family is not wealthy, by any means, and it wasn't a situation that I had parents there to bail me out or support me in any way. I just lived on a shoestring," said Crampsey on the latest edition of The Backgrounder podcast.

Now Crampsey's business, Montclair Bread Company is in expansion mode. A second retail location opened last week at the Montclair Public Library's main branch. The bakery operations are moving to Label Street at a site being redeveloped by Steven Plofker, which will allow the main location on Walnut Street to expand into a cafe.

Just as bread in all of its varieties is made of only four ingredients, Crampsey says her small success has been made of only four simple elements. You can hear what they are on The Backgrounder podcast, as well as how a recent Kickstarter campaign helped the business and how her artisan doughnuts won her a loyal customer base of carb-loading runners. To listen, simply click on the orange play button at the top of this page.

Paul Brubaker, former journalist and congressional spokesman, keeps it real with the people who make New Jersey the most fascinating place on Earth. Check back every week for a new episode of 'The Backgrounder.' 

The 10 most overrated things about New Jersey

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Even those who love the Garden State have to admit it has its flaws. Watch video

Let me start by saying I love New Jersey, and no one has written about or seen more of this state than I have.

That being said, this ain't exactly paradise, and the last thing New Jersey needs is the glamour treatment -- making everything about this state sound postcard-perfect. We have an image problem, sure; let's not make it worse by painting the Garden State in some fake golden glow.

Which brings us to the 10 most overrated things about this state. Call it a Jersey reality check. I'll undoubtedly catch major grief for daring to question these Garden State icons, institutions and shibboleths (always wanted to use that word in a sentence), but like every real Jerseyan, I have a thick skin.

10. The Jersey Devil. The biggest fraud in alleged-monster history, and that's including Sasquatch. There are so many versions of the Jersey Devil's origin it might as well be a comedy skit. Every so often, usually shortly after a bar somewhere closes, someone will call in a Jersey Devil sighting; a fisherman on LBI saw the Devil "serenading'' a mermaid. My big question: If this were a real-live  devil, shouldn't it have the power to zip around the state, say to the Short Hills Mall or the Somerset County 4-H fair? No self-respecting devil would hide out in the woods all its life.

9. Malls. Who shops at them, besides half the world? Yes, the Cherry Hill Mall was the first enclosed mall on the East Coast when it opened in 1961. Yes, we have more malls per square mile than any other state. Doesn't mean I have to love them, or even visit them. My most recent mall trip: a search for the state's best mall food. Five years ago, I visited all 28 of our major malls in 2 1/2 days. What did I learn? Pretty much nothing, but it was fun, despite the security guard at one mall questioning what I was doing taking notes.

8. Full-service gas stations. New Jersey is one of just two states where you can't pump your own gas. It all started in 1949, when the state legislature passed the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act amidst concerns over consumers pumping their own gas. Never mind that every other state except us and Oregon passed similar laws and have since overturned them. Proponents of full-service say it'll raise pump prices. By what, a nickel? I'll be happy to pay it! Stop this archaic annoying practice -- let me pump my own gas!

The 10 Most Overrated Things about New Jersey  Too many of these, along with discount stores and massage parlors, on the AC boardwalk (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

7. The Atlantic City boardwalk. The World's Most Famous Boardwalk is the world's most depressing boardwalk, populated with t-shirt shops, dollar stores, psychics, massage parlors, and souvenir stands selling iguanas (hermit crabs are apparently passe). Facades have been renovated in recent years, but it's not nearly enough. The phone charging stations and tram cars are nice touches, though. If I want a true boardwalk experience, I'll head to Wildwood or Ocean City; AC makes the Seaside boardwalk look like Rodeo Drive.

6. Mobsters. Are they even around anymore? If New Jersey was proud of one thing back in the 50s and 60s, it was its mobster element; they had swagger, they broke fingers, and had their own in everything (Disclaimer: I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Genovese crime family). Today, I think even Idaho has more mobsters. When the most famous recent mobster in your history is a fictional character (Tony Soprano, of course), you have a serious mobster image problem.

5. Jersey Shore summers. I love the Shore -- it's where I live. I love summer -- my favorite season. But Jersey Shore summers? Let's see: epic traffic jams on the Parkway, crowded beaches and boardwalks, block-long waits at restaurants, and don't forget all those quarters you're pumping into meters. Sounds like great fun. Best time to visit: mid-to-late September, when the Parkway's bearable, the weather's ideal and you don't need no stinkin' beach badge.

The 10 Most Overrated Things about NJ   Best thing about Hoboken: The views of Manhattan (John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

4. Hoboken - It's from the Indian word meaning "overpriced everything and rampant pretentiousness.'' The state's most parking-challenged town does boast a boatload of bars and restaurants (one bar was a semi-finalist in our N.J.'s best bars competition, and a burger joint was a finalist in our N.J.'s best burger showdown). Great access to the big city, but so does Jersey City, which has a more diverse dining scene. And don't get me started on the lemmings lined up outside Carlo's Bake Shop. Hobokenites were outraged none of their pizzerias landed in my NJ Pizza Power Rankings. My explanation -- none of them were good enough to be in the top 25! Best thing about the Hoboken food scene: the food trucks on Pier 13. Best thing about Hoboken: the views of Manhattan.

3. The Jersey tomato. Look, I love tomatoes, and Jersey farmers. But you can't tell me Jersey tomatoes are vastly superior to tomatoes grown in other states. New Jersey, one cooking site proclaims, "is blessed with the best tomatoes in the world'' -- and gives zero reason why. It's been repeated so many times over the years it's become an urban -- or, more accurately, rural -- legend. What, we have magic soil and perfect climate no other state possesses? Folks in Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia -- all of which produce more tomatoes than Jersey -- say their tomatoes are the best, too. Several years ago, gardenweb.com asked which state grows the best tomatoes. The overwhelming favorite: California. Let's get over this Jersey tomato fixation.

I'm not the only one:

The 10 Most Overrated Things about New Jersey The most overrated sandwich in the history of sandwich-dom (Alex Remnick I The Star-Ledger)
 

2. Taylor ham/pork roll. Yeah, it's pretty much the state sandwich, but is any food item more overrated? Pork roll is bland and boring and one-tenth as tasty as bacon; give me a big fat bacon and egg sandwich any day. And North Jersey, do me a favor; stop calling all pork roll Taylor ham. If it's not made by Taylor Provisions, it's not Taylor ham. Not all the pork roll you get in North Jersey is made by Taylor; there's a good chance you're actually eating Case pork roll. Repeat after me: All Taylor ham is pork roll; not all pork roll is Taylor ham.

1. The Garden State slogan. New Jersey is not overrated, but our slogan sure is. It's not known who came up with this most maddening of monikers (some credit Abraham Browning back in 1876), but the slogan has been on our license plates since 1954. Despite our farms and open space and Pine Barrens, no other state lives up less to its nickname (the view from the turnpike around Exit 13A, anyone?). Speaking of gardens, I checked various lists of the top 10 or 25 public gardens in the U.S. New Jersey was not on any of them. 

If you have a better nickname for New Jersey, or any comment about my list, let me know below. I'm sure I'm going to get some heat! 

Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.

Newark councilman recovering after motorcycle accident

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Carlos Gonzalez suffered serious injuries after the crash last weekend

Screen Shot 2015-11-14 at 5.17.01 PM.pngCarlos Gonzalez (File photo)

NEWARK - At-Large Councilman Carlos Gonzalez is recovering after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident earlier this month.

Several sources confirmed the accident, first reported by PolitickerNJ.

North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos Jr. took to Facebook Sunday night to wish "a speedy recovery to (his) colleague and friend."

Precise details of the accident and Gonzalez's condition remain unclear. The councilman's, former Newark deputy mayor Margarita Muniz, said she considered it a private matter and declined to comment further.

Gonzalez was not present at a special council meeting last week, and it is unknown how long his absence may last.

An attorney and former accountant, he has been a member of the city's executive body since 2006.

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

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Newark icon, owner of Hobby's Deli, Sam Brummer dies at 93

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Brummer died Sunday, leaving behind a long legacy in the state's largest city.

NEWARK -- The corner of Branford and Halsey will never be the same. Samuel Brummer, the longtime owner of Hobby's Deli and a much-loved figure in the city, died Sunday. He was 93.

Brummer, a Polish immigrant who moved to Newark in the 1930s and fought in World War II before taking over the famed eatery in 1962, died at his North Caldwell home Sunday after battling heart problems and other health issues, family members said.

"He lived the American Dream," Marc Brummer, who runs Hobby's with his brother, Michael, said of their father in a phone interview Monday.

"He built a life here, and a business here, and a family here. He watched his kids and his grandkids grow up...and he never took any of it for granted."

MORE: Street renamed 'Hobby's Plaza' after famed Newark deli

Though he spent much of the morning fielding a seemingly endless string of phone calls from friends and customers expressing condolences, Michael Brummer was at Hobby's Monday.

"Dad would have wanted the place open," he said. "I'm here with him. I'm working in his place."

Hobby's, the Brummer family says, has been a family-run institution in the city since Sam and his wife, Rona, bought it 53 years ago. Under Sam's leadership, family members said the lines between friends and customers blurred.

"As tough of a businessman as he was, he had a very kind and gentle heart," Marc Brummer said. "If someone came in hungry, they didn't leave that way."

At a ceremony last year renaming the corner of Branford Place and Halsey Street, "Hobby's Plaza," local officials spoke of one of Sam's first moves after taking over the deli. Soon after he started, Sam noticed that the wait staff had a certain sign they used to signal that a black customer had walked through the door. He immediately abolished the practice, and established Hobby's as a welcoming place open to all.

The anti-Semitism that Brummer faced growing up in Poland was part of what inspired his welcoming way, his son Marc said.

"He had suffered as a Jew, and he wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else," Marc said. "Everyone was welcome and everyone was treated with dignity. That's one of the many legacies my father passed on to me and my brother."

In recent years, Brummer was honored as a World War II veteran who took part in the D-Day invasion in Normandy. In 2006, he received a Bronze Star for his service during a ceremony at Hobby's, and in 2009, the French awarded him a Legion of Honor medal.

Despite what his sons called a long and complicated history as a refugee from Poland and a war hero, Brummer will likely be most remembered for the impact he had on the Newark community.

"Newark was always very good to my father," Michael Brummer said Monday. "To us, Hobby's is Newark."

Sam has said felt the same way.

"I went through thick and thin with Newark, but I never left it," Sam said in an interview with NJ Advance Media last year.

"It is a great city."

Sam Brummer's funeral will take place at Temple Sholom of West Essex in Cedar Grove at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

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

Fugitive sought in N.J. go-go bar murder captured in Maine, report says

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Juan Porter allegedly gun downed a 23-year-old East Orange man in February during an attempted robbery

18536448-mmmain.pngJuan Porter was arrested in Maine this morning. He is suspected of shooting and killing an East Orange man earlier this year in Newark. 

A man sought for a fatal shooting outside a Newark go-go bar in February was arrested Monday morning in Maine, according to a report.

Juan "Yum Yum" Porter, 30, was taken into custody in Lewiston following a "routine" traffic stop, WCSH6.com said.

He allegedly lied to Maine cops about his identity after being pulled over, but Newark police told authorities in Maine he was wanted here, the report said.

Porter allegedly shot and killed Sharod Coleman, 23, of East Orange on Passaic Street near 21 Foxes Go-Go on Feb. 8.

Another man was also injured in the shooting, which took place during an attempted robbery, authorities said.

The Essex County Sheriff's Office put up a $5,000 reward on Aug. 13  for information that would lead to Porter's arrest.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

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Caldwell to host 'Fed up' screening

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In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, Caldwell University will host a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary "Fed Up," Nov. 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

ex1115college.JPG(from left) OffTheScale members Angela Krontiris, Ashley Heather, Torrie Wilson, Billy Pymm and Chris Creveling with celebrity fitness trainer Jay Cardiello (middle).  

CALDWELL -- In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, Caldwell University will host a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary "Fed Up," Nov. 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

OffTheScale, a high-intensity health and wellness program that is designed to slow, stop and reverse chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, will present the screening at Caldwell University.

"Fed Up" examines America's obesity epidemic and the food industry's role in aggravating it by overlooking large quantities of sugar in processed foods. To prove this growing concern, "Fed Up" points to the lobbying power of "Big Sugar" in blocking attempts to enact policies to address the issue.

The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Jay Cardiello, the celebrity fitness trainer of Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest and 50 Cent.

The event is free and open to the public, and it will take place at Caldwell University located at 120 Bloomfield Ave.

If you would like to submit news pertaining to your college, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Brava, maestra: NJSO appoints its first female music director

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The hiring of Chinese conductor Xian Zhang might be the orchestra's boldest move in decades.

NEWARK -- Xian Zhang, a Chinese conductor with an international stature and well-known to local audiences, will become the 14th Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the symphony's board of trustees announced Monday.

The 42-year-old native of Dandong, China succeeds Jacques Lacombe, who has led the orchestra since 2010. Zhang will be the first woman and the first Chinese national to lead the orchestra. 

Her contract is for four years and she will conduct the orchestras in seven subscription programs in her first season as music director. Her last performances with the orchestra in May drew raves, including from our own critic, who wrote that Zhang "infuses scores with vitality and detail." 

She will appear again with the orchestra in April, conducing a program of Tchaikovsky and Barber, before her term officially begins in September 2016.

Lacombe announced that he would be stepping aside last year, partly to focus on the international engagements that have increasingly occupied his time. In August, he was appointed principal conductor of the Bonn Opera in Germany.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/10/music_director_jacques_lacombe_to_leave_the_new_jersey_symphony_orchestra.html

The maestra's appointment is the boldest move by the 93-year old institution since it hired Henry Lewis, the first African-American to lead a major American orchestra back in 1968. But while it represents a coup, as Zhang regularly plays with the best orchestras in the world, the move is still somewhat conservative. Her programming thus far at NJSO and elsewhere has consisted mainly of traditional classical fare (Brahms, Mozart, Strauss) and her track record shows little indication of shaking up the band's tradition of romantic staples with pops on the side.

In a telephone interview last week from the United Kingdom, where Zhang is conducting a run of "La Boheme" at English National Opera, she said her first priority was not to shake up the music that the orchestra plays, but rather get a sense of place.

"We play in many venues and that presents certain challenges," she says. "The halls are different and the audiences are different. I need to find out a lot more (about how) the audience in Newark is different than in Morristown." 

She adds, "The orchestra is like a messenger to the state -- and if you have only four concerts in Englewood, it cannot be something you forget. Each concert has to be so high impact that you grab people to come."

Zhang began her professional career in China, conducting a performance of "The Marriage of Figaro" at age 20. Yet her career really took off in New York when she shared first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition in 2002. Former New York Philharmonic Music Director Lorin Maazel then tapped her to be an assistant conductor and later associate conductor with the Phil.

"It's like a homecoming to me," she said about returning to the area. 

zhang2.jpegZhang was a guest conductor for the NJSO in May. She'll appear again with the orchestra in April 2016 before her tenure as music director commences in fall 2016.  

In 2005, Zhang became a Music Director for the first time, taking over the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. In 2008, she started breaking barriers in Europe when she became the first woman to conduct the prestigious Staatskappelle Dresden in its main hall. In 2009, she became the first woman to lead an Italian symphony orchestra when she took over the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Guiseppe Verdi.

Ruth Lipper, co-chair of NJSO's board of trustees, says, "The focus of the committee was to find the best person for the job. The happy effect of the choice of Zhang is that we're breaking new ground in having a maestra."

Zhang's appointment means two female prominent podium presences  at NJSO next season, as current associate conductor, Gemma New, will continue to work with the orchestra as well.

Zhang, who grew up in a small town during China's cultural revolution where women were expected to work equally alongside men, dismisses attaching too much import to her gender.

"Everywhere should be more female conductors, and I wish there would be more," she says, "Yes, it is good that on the east coast, you have already have Marin (Alsop, of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) and JoAnn (Falletta, of the Buffalo Philharmonic) leading orchestras, but in ten years time hopefully no one will think this is unusual."

Zhang, who stands just over five feet tall, has already made a considerable impression on the orchestra. Eric Wyrick, concertmaster of the orchestra since 1998, says, "We've had a relation with Xian for five years now -- she has been a favorite of the orchestra every time."

He adds, "She's a small person, yet when she's on the podium she just grows in stature."

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

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Decorated Essex undersheriff charged with sexually abusing young girl

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James Pitts was suspended without pay after being arrested on charges of aggravated criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child

essex-sheriff.jpgA veteran member of the Essex County Sheriff's Office has been charged with sexually abusing an underage girl. (File photo)

NEWARK - An award-winning officer with the Essex County Sheriff's Office is suspended without pay after being charged with sexually assaulting a young girl.

James Pitts was arrested on Friday at his home in Montclair, according to Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. The veteran undersheriff is facing six counts of aggravated criminal sexual contact and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The alleged sex acts date back to March of this year, and took place as recently as last week, Carter said.

Authorities declined to comment on the nature of any relationship between Pitts and the victim.

Sheriff's Office spokesman Kevin Lynch confirmed Pitts was suspended immediately following his arrest but offered no additional comment.

MORE: Sheriff's officer tipped off dealers in drug ring bust, authorities allege

Bond information for Pitts was not immediately available, and there was no record of him having been booked into the Essex County Jail.

In 2012, he was given an award for "overall job performance" for his duties overseeing officers in Essex County Superior Court, as well as the sheriff's security and transportation divisions.

The following year, Pitts' son James Pitts Jr. was charged with robbery and drug conspiracy offenses in connection with the murder of Villanova University student Brian Schiavetti, a Connecticut native who was found dead in a Montclair apartment building in July 2012.

Pitts Jr. eventually pleaded guilty to a drug charge and is expected to be sentenced to 364 days in jail. His co-defendant, Ernest Williams, was convicted of aggravated manslaughter and other charges in connection with the slaying earlier this month.

The Friday arrest marks at least the third time this year an Essex sheriff's officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law.

In March, officer Denis Oliveira was charged with using his badge and gun to force a prostitute into sex. Four months later, Robert Andrews was arrested on suspicion that he tipped off members of a large heroin distribution ring that law enforcement was investigating their dealings.

Both have also been suspended without pay.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the status of the case against James Pitt Jr.

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

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More than 500 miles of cast iron and steel gas lines to be replaced with plastic

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State approval gives PSE&G the green light to expedite work on replacing lines installed in the early 1990s. The utility also will install excess flow meters that automatically shut off gas when a line is damaged.

Public Service Electric and Gas Co. will be replacing up to 510 miles of aging cast iron gas lines over the next few years, the company announced Monday.

PSE&G received approval Monday from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to expedite the replacement of the gas mains beneath streets and approximately 38,000 service lines feeding homes and businesses. The replacement program will take three years and cost a total of $905 million, the utility said.

The work will occur in urban neighborhoods in PSE&G's service territory served with cast iron and unprotected steel lines installed in the early 1900s, the company said. Cast iron and steel lines are prone to leaks.

"Accelerated replacement of our aging gas pipes ensures we can support a safe, clean and reliable gas system well into the future," said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G president and COO. "Since 2009, our residential customers' gas heating bills are down 47 percent because of the lower cost of natural gas supply. The timing is right to accelerate this work -- while gas prices remain low."

Customers will begin seeing extra charges on their gas bills to cover the cost of the speeded-up program only after the work in their area is completed, according to the board.

RELATED: PSE&G proposes $1.6 billion gas main modernization program

PSE&G said the additional cost will be 1.5 percent a year over four years. Average customers who use 1,010 therms annually will have a total cumulative increase of $4.80 on their monthly bills, it said.

The utility will replace the lines with plastic lines that are less likely to leak. The improved lines will allow PSE&G to increase gas pressure, which also will allow the company to install excess flow meters. Excess flow meters can detect when too much gas is going through a line — signaling a potentially dangerous rupture — and shut off the line.

To identify lines that are in most need of replacing, PSE&G said it will use data from the Environmental Defense Fund, which developed a program with Google and Colorado State University to detect methane emissions from natural gas distribution systems.

"PSE&G is the first gas utility to provide extensive information to EDF on its existing gas system and on its method of targeting mains for replacement," said Jonathan Peress, Air Policy Director for Natural Gas for the defense fund.

Work is expected to begin in the spring.

PSE&G has 3,000 miles of cast iron and 1,000 miles of steel lines, said PSE&G spokeswoman Brooke Houston. Without approval to expedite the replacement of the lines — and recover the costs — it would take PSE&G 100 years to replace them all, she said. With the speeded-up process, the company could replace them in 30 years, she said.

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Artist housing, studios planned at dilapidated former Newark bank

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The former Clinton Trust Company building on Clinton Avenue has sat abandoned for decades

NEWARK - If you were searching for a symbol of the economic rise and fall of Newark's South Ward, look no further than the one-time Clinton Trust Company.

The towering building on Clinton Avenue, with its stone and exterior and stately columns, was built to convey a sense of solidity to customers before the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created to safeguard their accounts.

Officials have trouble recalling exactly when it closed, but it was one of many local institutions that followed longtime residents fleeing for the suburbs during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, it sustained major property damage during a flare-up of the riots that had enveloped Newark a year prior - and in the decades since has represented more of a monument to the city's plight than a bygone era of prosperity.

"It's been a symbol of blight for so long. It's just sat there and been allowed to deteriorate," said South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James. "I don't ever remember it being a bank."

MORE: Newark to kick in $2M to spark construction on Shaq-backed high-rise tower

At long last, that may all be set to change. On Monday, Mayor Ras Baraka was joined by James and other local stakeholders to break ground on a project to transform the building into a mixed-use haven for artists, poets and other creative types.

Dubbed the "Nina Simone House", the building will feature 27 affordable housing units, a "poet's cafe", art gallery, performance venue and other communal spaces.

The building's facade will be preserved, though the remainder - including broken windows and graffiti-laden walls - will be demolished.

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Baye Adofo-Wilson said construction on the new facility should begin in spring, in hopes of welcoming residents sometime next year. Local arts organizations will help screen applicants for the new units, though they must make 60 percent of the area's median income (about $34,000 in 2013, according to census data) or less to be eligible.

The $6.5 million project is being funded by the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation as part of the city's "Model Neighborhood" initiative launched last year, which aims to rehabilitate areas in the Lower West Ward and Clinton Hill sections.

Both areas have had longtime struggles with high rates of crime and blight, and hopes are high that removing one of its oldest eyesores might once again spur some sorely needed growth.

"It' going to be one of the anchors of the commercial corridor (along Clinton Avenue)," said Adofo-Wilson.

"Its something that for my people in my generation, its always been blighted. To see the change happen in the neighborhood in our lifetime...it's really exciting."

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

Newark police seize more than 2.5K hits of heroin in drug bust

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Authorities charged six city residents in the Sunday afternoon drug bust.

NEWARK -- Police arrested six city residents and seized more than 2,500 envelops of heroin and hundreds of vials of cocaine in a drug bust Sunday afternoon, authorities said. 

Responding to numerous drug complaints just before 5 p.m. on Stratford Place, detectives said they spotted Furquan Thomas, who had an open arrest warrant, pulling clear vials from his fanny pack, according to Sgt. Ronald Glover, a spokesperson for the Newark Police Department.

According to police, the 23-year-old took off once he spotted the officers, dropped the glass vials and ran into an apartment on the fourth floor with five others inside. 

Police searched the apartment and Thomas seizing 2,551 glassine envelops of heroin, 22 baggies of marijuana as well as 401 vials and 14 grams of cocaine, authorities said. 

Thomas, Abdul Bryant, 19, Yasim Smith and Raekwan Gilmore, both 18, Lyonel Finklea, 29, and Samantha Brydie, 23, were all arrested on drug charges, Glover said. 

The specific charges were not known. 

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

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4 reasons a world-renowned classical conductor decided to head N.J.'s symphony

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Xian Zhang has been named the NJSO's 14th director.

NEWARK -- London. Milan. Beijing. Gothenburg. Rotterdam.

That's a list of just a few of the cities in which Xian Zhang has conducted. In a press conference in Newark Monday, Zhang announced that she will be taking her worldly musical talent to New Jersey.

MORE: Brava, maestra -- NJSO appoints its first female music director

Starting in the 2016-17 season, Zhang will head the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as its 14th music director. During a question and answer session with reporters at the announcement, Zhang - the NJSO's first ever female director - commented on four different reasons she decided to make the move to the Garden State.

  1. The orchestra's flexibility - Uniquely, the NJSO regularly performs at six venues across the state: the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark; State Theater in New Brunswick; Count Basie Theater in Red Bank; Richardson Auditorium in Princeton; Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown; and bergenPAC in Englewood. Zhang said the unusual setup is actually a plus, because it "has made the orchestra flexible." And, she said, because the orchestra plays fewer shows in each venue, "you need to really grab people's hearts in a limited number of chances."
  2. Connection with the musicians. Zhang said she has guest conducted at the NJSO several times before, and instantly felt very at home with the musicians. They "pay a lot of attention to the maestro. Many orchestras sound the same (no matter what), but this orchestra actually changes a great deal" from piece to piece and composer to composer, she said.
  3. The audiences. The crowds in Jersey are more entertaining, and more engaged, Zhang said. "I enjoy tremendously the interactions with the audiences...in New Jersey," she said, pointing out that one of her goals as director will be to focus on creating connections between the players and the public.
  4. Homecoming. Zhang, originally from China, first moved to New York in 1998, where she eventually became the Associate Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. She left in 2009 for Italy, to serve as music director for the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. Now, she said, it feels like time to return to the U.S. "I wanted my career to be open...but, I left so that I could come back some day," she said. "Now, that made all the sense (to do)."

Zhang will appear with the NJSO in April before officially taking over her new post in September 2016.

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

Newark mourns 'legendary' Hobby's Deli owner

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Samuel Brummer died Sunday at age 93.

NEWARK -- Officials, family members, friends, and diners are saying goodbye Tuesday to a longtime city business owner who locals are calling a "legend."

Samuel Brummer, the owner of Hobby's Deli in Newark since 1962, died Sunday. A funeral for the 93-year-old will be held at the Temple Sholom of West Essex in Cedar Grove at 11:30 a.m.

Brummer's two sons, who now operate Hobby's, were not the only locals who said Sam will be greatly missed.

"For over (50) years, Samuel Brummer was a daily presence at Hobby's Deli, the landmark restaurant where generations of patrons savored the good food and welcoming atmosphere that he cultivated," Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who in 2006 presented Brummer with a Broze Star for his military service during WWII, said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.

"With his passing, the City of Newark and Essex County lost a part of our history."

MORE: Newark icon Samuel Brummer dies at 93 

Many deli customers took to social media to express their grief, and send condolences to the family behind the famous eatery.

Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in an interview with NJ Advance Media that he was a longtime friend of the Brummer family, and a frequent customer at Hobby's, which he called, "the best deli in all of New Jersey."

Fontoura, he said, was a beat cop during the 1967 riots in Newark, which happened just a few years after Sam Brummer and his wife, Rona, took over the deli.

"A lot of businesses left (after that), but he never did," Fontoura said. "He never even thought about it. He loved this city...Sam was a legend here."

Though Brummer's son Michael said Monday that he opened the deli because that's what his dad would have wanted, Hobby's announced via social media that it would be closed Tuesday so family and employees could attend the funeral.

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

Newark council reverses course, OKs no-bid contract for former city spokeswoman

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Nearly every member of the council changed votes tallied last week to approve a $50,000 contract for a company headed by former communications director Sakina Cole

NEWARK -- The Municipal Council on Monday approved a no-bid contract for a company headed by former city communications director Sakina Cole.

The 5-0 vote marked a stark reversal from last week, when the body voted 4-2 to reject the $50,000 deal for "marketing and branding services" from Cole Media Inc.

Nearly every member of the council changed his or her position since the initial tally on Nov. 10.

Council President Mildred Crump, Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, Joe McCallum, Eddie Osborne and Augusto Amador cast votes in favor - all but Crump either initially opposed the agreement or abstained from voting at the earlier meeting.

Anibal Ramos Jr. and Luis Quintana each abstained Monday after originally voting against the deal. John Sharpe James, who was absent last week, cast a vote in favor but changed his vote to an abstention after it had passed.

At-Large Councilman Carlos Gonzalez, who is recovering from a recent motorcycle accident, was absent from both meetings.

MORE: Baraka taps activist, Giuliani veteran, to lead communications department

No discussion on the changes of heart was held at the meeting, and council members were not immediately available after it was adjourned.

Mayor Ras Baraka named Cole city communications director when he took office in July 2014, serving in the role for approximately six months before leaving to pursue work in the private sector with Cole Media.

Her history on Newark's payroll dates back to 2006, when she began a stint as press secretary for former Mayor Cory Booker. She then worked under Communications Director Desiree Peterkin before briefly serving as an aide to former councilwoman Dana Rone. In 2008, Cole Media was awarded a $358,000 contract to take over public relations duties for the council, though that contract was eventually eliminated as the city was forced to cut costs.

sakina ras.jpgSakina Cole with Mayor Ras Baraka. (Handout)

During the Nov. 10 meeting, members including Chaneyfield Jenkins and Ramos questioned why Baraka's administration was seeking to bypass the competitive bidding process to get the contract approved.

At the time, Communications Director Felipe Luciano said that Cole's experience with the city and expertise in drafting booklets and other materials for State of the City speeches and other events justified the exception.

Nearly immediately after denying the contract, however, some members began to walk back their positions.

After a lengthy absence in a conference room at the rear of Council Chambers, McCallum reversed his stance and cast a vote in favor. Chaneyfield Jenkins, who had also left the room during a presentation on the city's prisoner reentry program, attempted to do the same but was told the voting portion of the meeting had been closed.

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

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4-foot-long alligator body found in Newark park

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The animal may have been a dumped pet, officials say.

NEWARK -- A four-foot long dead alligator was found in a city park and removed Tuesday morning, officials have confirmed.

According to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, a jogger found the reptile at about 7 a.m. in Weequahic Park and alerted authorities. Sheriff's officers removed the alligator's body, which officials said they believe may have been a pet that someone dumped in the park after it died.

"We have never had a similar experience or a report of a gator sighting in any of our county park's waterways," Fontoura said in a statement about the animal, which is normally found in the southeastern United States.

"Maybe the owner believed Weequahic Lake's waters had some magical healing power."

The alligator's body was turned over to the Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey, authorities said.

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

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Suspended again: No work, no pay for employees who refused flu shot

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The women say they are taking a principled stand against forced injections

A New Jersey social service agency has suspended three workers without pay for a second week over their continuing refusal to get a flu shot or wear a surgical mask in the company's Burlington County headquarters, the employees said.

The women, who work in the accounting or billing departments at Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, said they were informed of the decision when they returned to work Tuesday morning following their first weeklong suspension.

Megan Duncan, Alanda Watson and Denise Mercurius said they expected to be fired for violating the vaccine-or-mask policy, which the agency put into effect this year, citing the need to safeguard its elderly and disadvantaged clients.

RELATED: Office workers who refused flu shots suspended without pay

Instead, the women were issued a second unpaid suspension, they said.

"I'm assuming they want us to quit so it doesn't look like they fired us," said Mercurius, 45, of Maple Shade. "But I'm not doing that."

The employees are among a growing number of workers in the health care industry across the country facing termination for defying mandatory flu-prevention policies, which have proliferated since passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The law, colloquially known as Obamacare, ties some Medicare funding to employee vaccination rates in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.jpgA Google street view image of the Burlington Township headquarters of Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey 

Duncan, Watson and Mercurius say they are deeply opposed to mandatory injections and that they are wary of the flu vaccine, which has been shown to carry serious side effects in very rare cases, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The women say they have no contact with clients, and they argue that because the flu vaccine varies widely in its effectiveness from year to year, unmasked employees who receive the shot are equally at risk of spreading the virus.

Though they would prefer to keep their jobs, they say, they have characterized their decision as a principled stand against an employer's intrusion into private lives.

"You have to stand for what you believe in," said Duncan, 30, of Howell. "We just think this is not right."

RELATED: They said no to company-mandated flu shot and now fear firing. Here's why.

Lutheran Social Ministries employs about 630 people statewide at its various facilities, including two nursing homes, a day treatment center for the homeless, an immigration center and shelters for battered women and at-risk children.

Duncan, Watson and Mercurius are among 32 people who work in the Burlington Township headquarters. While few clients come to the office building, about half of the employees regularly visit the agency's other facilities, raising concerns about cross-contamination, the agency's president, Colleen Frankenfield, told NJ Advance Media earlier this month.

Frankenfield has declined to comment about specific employees.

Duncan, a billing specialist, said the surgical masks are not a reasonable alternative to the flu shot because they are ostracizing and impractical.

"Some of the people I speak to on the phone are like 100 years old," she said. "They're not going to be able to hear me. It will prevent me from doing my job."

The vaccine-or-mask policies have become increasingly contentious. In some states, groups representing nurses have filed suit over the mandates, saying they should not be forced to accept the vaccine or wear a mask when they're not in contact with patients.

The CDC recommends the vaccine for all health care workers, as do most doctors' groups and the New Jersey Department of Health.

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

Emptied of 'the stuff of life,' Montclair Pathmark dies 'a natural death'

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After feeding families and a whole community for decades, a supermarket fails to survive the bankruptcy and breakup of its parent company

MONTCLAIR -- The fruits and vegetables, toothpaste and toilet paper, laundry detergent and prescription drugs that Carolyn Walker would buy for decades at the Montclair Pathmark supermarket weren't merely the wares of just another retail establishment.

"It's the stuff of life," Walker, who lives in Orange, said on Friday night. "It really is."

The last of that life was drained out of the Montclair supermarket on Friday night, when after clearing the shelves with discounts of up to 99 percent off, the store closed down for good. It was a casualty of the bankruptcy and liquidation of the Montvale-based Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, which owned the A&P and Pathmark chains.

Some of the bankrupt company's locations survived the collapse under a new name, including Montclair's A&P on Valley Road, which was bought by Acme and now bears that name. Others were sold to Stop & Shop.

But the Montclair Pathmark, located inside the Lackawana Plaza at Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street, was not one of them. And while Mayor Robert Jackson said he was optimistic a new supermarket would eventually occupy the site, for the time being Walker and other shoppers will have to buy their groceries elsewhere. 

"It's sad, very sad," Walker said, clutching a bag full of greeting cards she had just bought for literally pennies on the dollar. "I'll just have to choose another place."

Empty shelves, bins and freezers once brimming with food and other essentials, and whole aisles cordoned off with yellow police tape made for an eerily sad scene, as bargain hunters picked through the final, meager offerings: pet flea collars; airplane spoons and bread crust cutters for kids; packets of mustard bound in clear plastic bags.

RELATED: Which A&P stores have been sold? Use our map

"Attention shoppers," read a flier on the glass door of the locked, emptied pharmacy inside the store, explaining that their prescriptions had been transferred to CVS.

Jackson recalled Pathmark's grand opening in the mid-1980's, a brand new, high-quality supermarket and anchor tenant of the newly redeveloped Lackawana Plaza, a former train station. But over the last decade in particular, Jackson said, the store's appearance, atmosphere and even the quality of its wares had deteriorated, and the closing was not entirely unexpected or even unfortunate.

"The Pathmark has been underserving the community for at least 10 years," Jackson said. "It met what I would call a natural death."  

Lackawana Plaza is owned by a joint venture of the Pinnacle Companies in Montclair and Morristown-based Hampshire Corporation. Last month, the Pinnacle CEO   
Brian M. Stolar issued a statement that the Pathmark location was being marketed to other supermarket chains.

"Some aren't candidates because their existing stores are too close to Lackawanna Plaza, or this location isn't part of their business plan," Stolar stated. "Our goal is to bring in a food store operator that will well serve the Lackawanna neighborhood and the Montclair Township overall." 

To help shoppers adjust, Jackson said the town has been coordinating with Essex County, a privately run senior center, Senior Care, and a Shoprite supermarket near Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, about two miles away, to provide individualized transportation from residens homes and regular shuttle service from the Pathmark location to the ShopRite store.

Shoppers who need a ride are asked to call 973-509-4970.

Out in the Pathmark parking lot, Kenny Boggs was working his last shift after 3 1/2 years of rounding up the store's blue shopping carts. Boggs, 52, who lives across the street from the Pathmark, said he would be out of job come closing time.

Asked where he might look for work, Boggs had no idea.

"I don't know what to do," he said.

Out of the 90 A&P and Pathmark stores in New Jersey, nine were shut down immediately, while more than 40 were sold to Acme, Stop & Shop and Key Foods.

This map below, which will be updated as more sales are finalized, indicates whether a store has sold (green), closed (red), or is up for auction (grey). The yellow points indicate stores that don't fall in any of the prior categories, but where A&P plans to make layoffs. Click the points for details on buyers or bidders.

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

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2 Newark firefighters face internal charges after alleged rape, sources say

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The firefighters could be disciplined for violating department protocol when they allegedly allowed a civilian into the Engine 5 firehouse on Congress Street

NEWARK -- Two Newark firefighters are facing departmental charges in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a city firehouse last week, sources have confirmed.

According to multiple sources in the department, the firefighters could face  discipline for allegedly violating department protocol when allowing a civilian into the firehouse. Both remain on active duty while investigators with the Arson Division probes the potential violations.

The department forbids civilians to enter the firehouse after certain hours, typically around 10 p.m., unless they are reporting an emergency, sources said. All visitors, including administrators and other members of the department, are required to be recorded by a captain or other firefighter placed in charge.

A fire department spokesman last week confirmed an Essex County Prosecutor's Office investigation into an allegation that at least one Newark firefighter sexually assaulted a woman inside the Engine 5 firehouse on Congress Street. When asked about the progress of the investigation Monday, the spokesman deferred questions to city communications director Felipe Luciano.

Reached by phone, Luciano said city officials would be have no comment on the allegation until it has been fully investigated.

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

Both an internal probe and an investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office into the incident remain active, which could result in additional disciplinary or criminal charges.

According to sources close to the probe, the alleged incident took place the evening of Nov. 11, after a woman ended up at the firehouse after attending an event downtown, the sources said.

Engine 5 is assigned to cover emergencies and other calls in the area, including the Prudential Center and Newark Penn Station. Firefighters in Newark typically work 24-hour shifts beginning at 8 a.m., with each engine staffed with a captain and four to five other department members.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said last week that he could neither confirm nor deny any investigation into the alleged sexual assault. 

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

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Quiz: Can you name N.J. counties just from their shape?

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It seems like it should be very easy, but it's trickier than you think.

It's a safe bet that faced with a map of New Jersey with the county borders outlined, that any state resident worth their salt could point to the county where they live.  

But is it so simple when you take away the state outline and just leave individual county borders? Sure, Cape May is likely a gimme. Perhaps Sussex is an easy get too, but what about the rest? 

While putting together a collection of county silhouettes for another project, I was surprised by how often I was mixing up my New Jersey geographies.  

Taken out of context, suddenly Monmouth looked a lot like Salem. Union and Essex were strikingly similar. And Mercer County looked alien to me.

It could very well be that my state geography game is no longer on point, so I put it to you: Can you name New Jersey's counties on sight alone?  Technical constraints kept us from showing all 21, but there are 18 here that are waiting for you to weigh in.

Take the quiz below to find out.

NJ Advance Media reporter John Shabe contributed to this article. Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

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