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In home demolition, residents see hope for safer streets

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The demolition makes way for 44 new townhouses on the site of a previously crime-infested public housing complex. Watch video

ORANGE -- On Central Place in Orange, homes are of two eras. 

There are the pristine, multi-colored townhouses built in the past six years with fresh paint and perfectly shingled roofs. Down the street, a beat-up air conditioner hangs out the window of a decades-old home with a scuffed front door. 

The tiny Essex County township's East Ward has undergone a revitalization since 2011, when the modern, mixed-income townhouses began rising on the site of a famously crime-ridden public housing complex built in the 1950s.

As township officials on Thursday began demolition on five vacant properties to expand the new development, residents expressed hopefulness that the 44 apartments planned for the site would continue to transform their neighborhood. 

"I think this is a good start," said Jean Christine, as she sat on her porch next to the demolition site. "The street is getting better and better. It takes time." 

Drug dealers still linger in the neighborhood, where Christine has lived for 30 years. She said she's too afraid to sit outside her house for long, and she has repeatedly told her daughter she wanted to sell the home and move. 

Her daughter, Dennise Lovell, said she's optimistic the township's plan to construct four new residential buildings on Central Place and nearby Parrow Street would ease Christine's concerns.

"I'm so glad that whatever's going on here now, my mother can be at peace," Lovell said. 

Although a crew started razing the vacant and abandoned homes Thursday morning, funding for the project remains in question. The township expects to learn mid-month whether it will receive state tax credits it requested to defray the development's $13 million price tag, said Walter McNeil, Jr., the executive director of the Orange Housing Authority. 

"Because this is a community project, we are very concerned about the vacant and abandoned properties," he said. "We're taking the risk, we're spending money, to tear these things down so we can ensure the safety of the community overall." 

If the New Jersey Housing Mortgage and Finance Agency doesn't award Orange the tax credits, McNeil said the township will re-apply every six months until it gets the funding. 

Asked whether Orange would pay for the project if it did not ultimately receive tax credits, McNeil said: "No, no, we've got to keep on applying for the tax credits. In the meantime, we're praying that it works out eventually. Generally speaking, it will. It worked out three times for us."

The new construction of 44 "workplace units" -- affordable housing marketed to working families -- is the fourth stage in the construction of the Dr. Walter G. Alexander Village that is changing the face of the neighborhood. The public housing complex that formerly stood on the site was known for its drug and gang activity, and multiple law enforcement agencies arrested 33 gang members there in 2009.

McNeil said he expects construction on the new buildings to be completed in about 18 months. Some residents likely will have lived in the public housing complex that stood in the neighborhood until 2010, but he said the township now will be pickier about who's accepted as tenants.

"They're working people, and they're people who have an interest in building the neighborhood," McNeil said during a ceremony before the demolition. 

Prices for the apartments will vary based on applicants' incomes, which must fall below certain thresholds. A one-bedroom will cost roughly $700 per month, a two-bedroom will be $800 or $900, and a three-bedroom will be $1,100. 

The township largely credits the re-development with decreasing lawlessness in the East Ward. Crime has gone down 30 percent since the new townhouses started rising, McNeil said. 

"The police didn't event want to come down this street (before)," he said. "It was that bad."

McNeil said some crime may have migrated from the area already under re-development to the part of Central Place where construction is just beginning, but the area is safer than it once was.

The township has installed 64 surveillance cameras in the neighborhood since 2012 and plans to install another 64, McNeil said. An Orange Police substation is housed in one of the new townhouses. 

A neighbor who lives across the street from the current demolition site said he hopes the township pays attention to the homes in the area that remain standing, in addition to the properties being torn down. The man, who declined to give his name, said he's worried his home of 60 years may become infested with rats from the demolition. 

"There's still a lot of empty property here," he said. "Yes, they say they're gonna clean it up, but we'll see." 

To Mildred Harris, who has lived across the street from the demolition site for 23 years, the re-development is "the cat's meow." She's optimistic the new residents will promote a high quality of life in the neighborhood and help it improve.

"As long as I'm here, I'm gonna fight," Harris said. 

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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These 35 N.J. colleges have the highest-paid grads

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Savvy college students are starting to ask questions about how much their degrees will be worth in the real world.

Rescued terrier is energetic

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MONTCLAIR -- Buttercup is a 5-year-old American Staffordshire terrier in the care of PAWS Montclair. Rescued from a high-kill shelter, volunteers say she would be a great pet for one person or a family with older children. Buttercup is an energetic dog who loves to run and play; she has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots. For more information...

ex0813pet.jpgButtercup 

MONTCLAIR -- Buttercup is a 5-year-old American Staffordshire terrier in the care of PAWS Montclair.

Rescued from a high-kill shelter, volunteers say she would be a great pet for one person or a family with older children.

Buttercup is an energetic dog who loves to run and play; she has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Buttercup, call 973-746-5212 or go to pawsmontclair.org. PAWS is a nonprofit rescue group serving the Montclair area, currently caring for more than 100 cats and 10 dogs.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

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

N.J. fencing chief resigns over political rebuff of Newark

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The chairman of the New Jersey Division of USA Fencing angered the state's fencing community by declining to help Newark plan an event due to its status as a sanctuary city

NEWARK -- The chairman of fencing's ruling body in New Jersey resigned Thursday, after drawing the ire of the state's fencing community with a politically-tinged rebuff of an invitation from Newark to stage an event there.

"I have resigned my position as Chair of the NJ Division," Gene Costa told NJ Advance Media in an email on Thursday.

Costa, who had chaired the board of USA Fencing's New Jersey Division, angered and puzzled city officials as well as fencing coaches and officials in the Garden State who learned of  the July 31 email he sent to the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau. A week earlier, the visitors bureau had reached out to the sport's Colorado Springs-based national governing body, USA Fencing, seeking a New Jersey contact for the sport in order to arrange a meeting about staging an event.

"Please tell Mayor Ras Baraka that the NJ Division of USA Fencing is not interested in holding any of our activities in Newark, NJ, as of June 19, 2017, due to its Sanctuary City declaration," Costa stated in the email. "Because the Democratic politicians in NJ will not entertain passing Concealed Carry legislation and thereby deny the citizens of the state their second amendment rights, I in good conscience cannot entertain our organization placing many young people in the state and their families in danger by holding an event in Newark."

Baraka and fencers, coaches, fencing club owners and others immediately condemned Costa's remarks as wrongheaded, improper and even absurd, after word quickly spread throughout the close-knit fencing community. New Jersey is a U.S. fencing stronghold, with a large number of clubs and high school and college fencing programs.

Both USA Fencing and the executive committee of its New Jersey Division distanced themselves from Costa's statements and vowed to work with Newark officials to stage an event there.

"USA Fencing does not support or condone the statements made by Mr. Costa regarding the potential for fencing events to be hosted in Newark," read a statement issued by USA Fencing spokeswoman Nicole Jamantas.

"The National Office of USA Fencing would be happy to meet with the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss the opportunities that exist to host events in Newark as part of the organization's mission to grow and promote the sport of fencing throughout the United States."

A member of the New Jersey Division's executive committee, Paul Apostol, said Costa had submitted his resignation on Thursday and the committee would likely accept it during a teleconference meeting on Thursday night.

"We're all mortifed," said Apostol, a member of the U.S. Olympic fencing team in 1972 and 1976, who later was a two-time senior world champion in the sabre discipline.

Apostol said the 10-member committee would also name an interim chair, and schedule an election for a permanent new chairman with a regular term of one year. Apostol said Costa had only served as chairman since June, ascending to the position from his role as secretary following the resignation of longtime chairman Tom Tishman and the inability of the vice chairman to take on the position due to illness.

Apostol also said the committee would be reaching out to Newark soon to arrange a meeting to learn just what kind of event the city had in mind and to help make it happen.

The president and CEO of the visitors bureau, Karen Aaron, who labelled Costa's comments an "unfortunate distraction," said she, too, was eager to begin planning a Newark fencing event.

Baraka's office had no immediate comment on Costa's resignation. But in a statement issued prior to it, the mayor hinted that Costa may have been influenced by President Donald Trump, whose immigration crackdown prompted Newark's sanctuary city declaration in June.

"In this age of pernicious presidential tweets, it is truly disheartening that one person's political views could thwart a valuable opportunity for New Jersey athletes who are involved in the sport of fencing," Baraka said in a statement. "To castigate the entire City of Newark, home to a professional hockey team and host to hundreds of sporting events including basketball,  minor league baseball games, and even boxing matches because of xenophobia, is deplorable. Moreover, the suggestion of carrying concealed weapons to a fencing match or any sporting event is absurd."

Along with his resignation, Costa appeared to be backing away from his statements to the visitors bureau.

Contacted by NJ Advance Media, Costa said in an emailed response that he was not a political activist or even a member of a political party. But he said his response to the city had been influenced by an article related to politics that he had recently read.

He said the views he expressed to the visitors bureau were his own and did not represent the positions of USA Fencing or its New Jersey Division.

He also acknowledged that he had not consulted with fellow New Jersey Division board members, which he termed "a mistake."

Asked to explain the relevance of Newark's sanctuary city status to his sport, Costa said there was none.

"The sanctuary city status has no relevance to a city's fitness to host a fencing event,"  he wrote. "Unfortunately, my personal beliefs got in the way of my professional judgment."

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


 

He risked his life for American troops. Now he's sitting in U.S. detention.

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An Afghan national who received a special immigrant visa to come to the U.S. after he helped American troops abroad is being held in immigration detention.

ELIZABETH -- His face is boyish, yet serious, reflecting a deep sadness.

"I'm trying to do my best," Abdul, 25, said as he sat inside a small, gray cinderblock room at the Elizabeth Detention Center

An Afghan national, Abdul arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in March on a special immigrant visa given to those who put their lives at risk to help American troops and are no longer safe in their home countries.

But when Abdul arrived in the U.S., he was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and nearly deported. He has been in detention for the last five months.

"I haven't committed a crime and I have a visa. I think about that and that really, really upsets me," he said in Dari during a recent interview translated by an interpreter.

NJ Advance Media is withholding Abdul's last name to protect his family in Afghanistan. 

Elizabeth Detention CenterElizabeth Detention Center (Marisa Iati | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

His lawyers are fighting for his release and trying to stop his deportation. But Abdul's case has progressed slowly as President Trump's administration continues to harden its immigration laws. 

Abdul said he worked as a cashier and waiter since 2012, serving food at a U.S. military base and the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan. He said he was attacked twice by the Taliban and eventually moved to a military base in Kabul for protection while he applied for a visa to the U.S.

"This one time I was coming home and two Taliban stopped me," Abdul said, his dark blue detention uniform hanging loosely over a white T-shirt. "They had a motorcycle, they had guns, cables and knives. They told me that we have found out that you are helping the Americans and you are almost like a spy for the American government. They hit me with the cables multiple times."

Abdul said he feared for his life and applied for a special immigrant visa set aside for Afghans and Iraqis who are no longer safe in their countries because they aided the U.S. government in its missions abroad.

"The U.S. recognized that, they gave him a visa on this basis," said Farrin Anello, an attorney with American Civil Liberties Union, New Jersey, who is representing Abdul.

It took about a year and six months for Abdul's visa to be approved after a military sponsor wrote him a letter of recommendation, Abdul said. But when Abdul arrived on March 13 to Newark airport, he was held for 28 hours and taken to detention.

"The officer asked if I was Muslim, and I said yes," Abdul said, recalling his questioning by Border Patrol. "They looked into my bag, saw my prayer rug and prayer cap."

He said he didn't know why he was stopped and had a hard time understanding what the officers were saying because of his limited English.

"I was feeling very upset and sad because I knew my visa was good and I wasn't understanding why I had to go back," he said. "They said I was going to go back to Afghanistan." 

At one point, he signed a document. "They just asked me to sign here and said 'We've spoken to the consulate and we're going to reissue your visa,'" Abdul said. He said he was brought to the detention center instead. 

"I was upset, I almost cried but I saw all these other people who are also in here and I was also surprised," Abdul said.

His lawyers said that document revoked his visa and waived his right to enter the country -- but they're questioning its legality. 

Abdul arrived in the U.S. the week Trump's revised travel ban that restricted travel from six Muslim-majority countries -- not including Afghanistan -- was set to go into effect. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a far narrower version of the ban to move ahead while it hears arguments in the case. 

Though the policy did not extend to Afghan nationals, Anello said it set the wrong precedent.

"The ban is one example of a range of changes in policy and practice that send the message that it's OK to target people based on their religion or based on the fact that they come from a country that's predominantly Muslim," Anello said. "How do we get to a policy (where) people are treated fairly on the merits of their individual case?"

'I want the law to be enforced'

Abdul said he sleeps in a room with 44 other men "from all over the world." He is clean shaven with short black hair; his voice is calm and steady. 

"There are not many Americans in here it's usually people that work in America," he said. "Those people have families outside here and they work and they like America but they don't understand the difficulties (of being detained)."

Abdul said he's made some friends, including immigrants who speak Spanish who have taught him Spanish words. 

"Como estas," he says, which is Spanish for how are you? But most days he studies an English-language book, watches movies like "Fast and Furious" and talks to his mom on the phone. 

airport.JPGA group of lawyers have assembled at Newark airport to provide legal help for any traveler affected by President Trump's executive order. (Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Abdul said the food is the worst part. Even though he likes American food, it doesn't taste the same here. 

And he said he misses the smell of fresh air.

"I feel lonely and I get sad and I get bored," he said. "I tell my mom and my mom cries on the phone as well. She gets sad also."

By this time, Abdul envisioned himself living in Ohio -- where a resettlement agency has arranged housing for him -- earning his Bachelor's degree in economics and working. 

"I want the law to be enforced for every country," Abdul said, adjusting his chair and sitting upright. "I want the world to know I'm not here to harm anyone, I want the world to know I'm here for education, I 'm here for work."

'There are a lot of people who lose their heads over this'

Jason Scott Camilo, who is representing Abdul's immigration case, said his request for parole was denied, but he is still pushing for Abdul's release. Immigration officials have the discretion to release a detainee on parole if someone is not a flight risk.

In March, a Border Patrol spokesman told NJ Advance Media the agency has the discretion to vet travelers in a process known as "secondary inspection" and turn them away -- even if they arrive with a visa.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Lou Martinez said the agency does not comment on specific cases.

Abdul's attorneys are arguing he should not have been detained in the first place and say his passport was stamped before he was questioned.

"When you come on a (special immigrant visa) and you get your passport stamped you become a lawful permanent resident," Anello said. 

"Every single act they've done is incorrect, illegal or without justification," added Camilo. 

If Abdul is deported, he'd be the first publicly known case of a special immigrant detainee holder returned to his or her country, advocates said.

"I was happy to come to America, I had worked with Americans and I wasn't expecting this to happen," Abdul said. 

He said he fears ever having to return to Afghanistan even though he misses his family. 

"There is not a safe place for me to go back to. If I go back they will get what they want. If I go back they will try to kill and try to harm and get rid of you. There are a lot of people who lost their heads over this," he said.

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

Glimpse of History: Young women congregate at Crane

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MONTCLAIR -- This photo taken in the 1950s shows young women attending a meeting at the Crane House in Montclair. MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Montclair-Essex purchased the Crane House in 1920 and used the house for offices, dormitories and as a social center for African American women until 1965. If you...

MONTCLAIR -- This photo taken in the 1950s shows young women attending a meeting at the Crane House in Montclair.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Montclair-Essex purchased the Crane House in 1920 and used the house for offices, dormitories and as a social center for African American women until 1965.

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.

9 people displaced by 3-alarm blaze in East Orange

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Cause of the fire remained unclear. Watch video

EAST ORANGE -- Five families were displaced after a three-alarm fire damaged an apartment building in East Orange early Friday, a city spokeswoman said.

The fire started around midnight at a two-story apartment on Telford Street, near Rhode Island Avenue.

Nine people were forced from their homes and received assistance from East Orange's emergency management office, fire department and the American Red Cross, according to city spokeswoman Connie Jackson.

Fire crews brought the flames under control shortly before 1 a.m., the spokeswoman said. There were no injuries to firefighters or residents.

Investigators were working to determine what caused the blaze.

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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Crips gang member had 'mini drug store' in her apartment, sheriff says

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Three alleged drug dealers arrested in two days.

NEWARK -- Investigators raided the home of a reputed Crips street gang member in Newark's North Ward, where they seized a range of drugs, officials said Friday.

ecjailcripsmember.jpegEdda Vasquez, 37 (Photo: Essex County jail) 

The arrest of Edda Vasquez, 37, marked the third alleged drug dealer arrested by Essex County Sheriff's narcotics detectives in the city within two days.

Irvington police and sheriff's detectives knocked on the door of Vasquez's North 5th Street home to serve a search warrant Thursday night, Sheriff Armando Fontoura said in a statement. Vasquez briefly came to her second floor balcony and retreated back into the apartment when she saw police, Fontoura said.

Officers feared she could destroy evidence and forced their way inside the residence, Fontoura said. Vasquez tossed a plastic bag containing 20 grams of crack cocaine before she was arrested.

In the dining room, detectives found 19 grams of crack cocaine, 35 plastic jugs also filled with crack cocaine, drug packaging materials and $2,000, according to officials. Police also discovered a shoebox in a bedroom that contained suboxone and endocet.

"Apparently, this mini drug store was catering to multiple tastes," the sheriff said.

Vasquez was charged with various drug distribution-related offenses. Fontoura said simultaneous investigations led to the arrest of three alleged drug dealers and a suspected buyer in the city's South Ward Wednesday.

Detectives saw Oscar Gonzalez, 19, of Newark, loitering on Ridgewood Avenue before a car pulled up and the front seat passenger, Alyssa Spiecker, 24, of South Amboy, had a brief conversation with him, officials said. Gonzalez appeared to engage in a suspected drug transaction with Spiecker.

Police pulled over Spiecker nearby and found she had 10 envelopes of heroin stamped "100" in red ink, the sheriff said. Meanwhile, Gonzalez was arrested at the scene of the alleged drug deal and charged with offenses, including selling heroin to Spiecker.

Detectives seized 40 heroin decks also stamped with "100" from Gonzalez's lawn near the transaction on Ridgewood Avenue, authorities said.

In a separate arrests on Chadwick Avenue, sheriff's detectives charged Avent Holston, 25, and Ibraheem Islam, 29, both city residents, with drug distribution-related offenses.

Investigators saw Holston retrieve items from an electrical utility closet attached to a house, according to authorities. Islam pulled up with a bag holding smaller clear bags filled with a "brownish/greenish substance."

Police watched as Islam and a passenger exchanged one of the smaller bags for cash, according to officials. Detectives stopped Islam and seized a backpack that contained 178 bags of marijuana.

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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Newark deputy mayor accused of harassment by members of Puerto Rican Day Parade

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Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Quiles is being charged for allegedly verbally abusing a district leader in the city .

NEWARK -- Long simmering animus between some members of the city's Puerto Rican community and Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Quiles has reached a new boiling point. 

A volunteer for the Puerto Rican Statewide Heritage Parade and North Ward district leader is accusing Quiles of harassment after she allegedly unleashed an expletive-laden tirade on her. 

Leaders of the parade are holding a press conference Monday to denounce what they say is Quiles's latest action against them since her appointment to City Hall in 2015. 

"Her presence in the community has caused distress, controversy and pain to the very community she is supposed to serve," Nelson "Butchie" Nieves, the president of the parade, wrote in a press release Thursday night. 

City spokeswoman Marjorie Harris said in a statement earlier this week that Quiles, the deputy mayor for community engagement, "plays a significant role in engaging the Latino community in the City of Newark."

"From her leadership on issues such as sanctuary cities and the municipal ID program to her successful coordination of the 3rd Annual Latin Festival, which brought tens of thousands of residents and visitors to Newark, she has represented this administration well," Harris said.

Newark resident Sonia Vera, 52, filed a complaint in Newark Municipal Court on Aug. 3 alleging she was walking around her neighborhood with her husband the night of July 29 when Quiles came up to her and allegedly began hurling profanities and insults at her. 

On Monday, a judge dismissed the case finding no probable cause. But Vera said she plans to refile the charges after the judge told her she used the incorrect statutes in her complaint. 

"Whatever private legal matter she is experiencing now is in the hands of the court and we have no further comment," Harris said earlier this week, responding to the charges. 

Quiles, a former Miss Puerto Rico New Jersey, once served as the president of the Puerto Rican day parade and later went on to work in Perth Amboy for Mayor Wilda Diaz.

The city has traditionally employed one Puerto Rican deputy mayor as a liaison to one of the city's largest communities. But Quiles's appointment to the position by Mayor Ras Baraka drew criticisms from some members of the Puerto Rican community.

Nieves, a former longtime aide for Councilman Luis Quintana, said she mishandled the annual Puerto Rican parade when she was at the helm and since her appointment has worked against members of the group. 

"This is just something that has to be dealt with, it has to be put to a stop," said Nieves, who was fired as Quintana's aide last year and is suing for his job back. "No one is taking responsibility to tell her you are a representative of the city of Newark ... you're not supposed to be acting that way."

In Perth Amboy, Quiles was also accused of harassment by the head of the city's Democratic Party, but she was found not guilty after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence

During her tenure as deputy mayor, Quiles has advocated for the municipal ID program that allows all residents -- regardless of legal status -- a photo identification card.

She also organized the annual Latin Festival that this year drew thousands to watch free performances by Latin Grammy-nominated stars, Tito El Bambino and Jerry Rivera. 

Vera said during the altercation last month, Quiles had been drinking and was calling Vera "all kinds of names."

"It was out of nowhere," said Vera, who once worked with Quiles at the Puerto Rican Statewide Heritage Parade. "I told her, 'What's happening, why are you telling me this?'"

Jose Hernandez said he saw Quiles inside the North End bar on July 29 where she allegedly also insulted him before encountering Vera on Broadway and Verona Avenue. 

"The person who works with the mayor, she's supposed to be professional and know how to deal with the community," Hernandez, who said he witnessed part of Quiles tirade and also volunteers for the parade, said. "These people think because they got power, they can abuse authority, they can do anything."

Vera, a lifelong Newark resident, said she's been discouraged from going through with her complaint by city officials and urged to settle the matter out of court. She said the municipal court did not help her file her complaint. 

But Kenneth Vercammen, past chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Municipal Court Section, who is not involved in the case, said it's up to the person filing the complaint to properly file it.

"The court is not required to do your research, they are supposed to be impartial," he said. 

Vera said she decided to take Quiles to court because it's not the first time the deputy mayor has verbally attacked her. 

"This wasn't about hurting anybody, this is about her keeping her distance and leaving me alone," Vera said.

The city declined to comment further on Friday. 

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

 

Family of boy left brain damaged after tonsil surgery settles for $4.25M

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Doctors failed to intubate the boy fast enough after he went into respiratory and cardiac arrest, the suit alleged

The family of a boy left with brain damage and blindness when complications following surgery to address snoring problems settled a lawsuit against the hospital and doctors involved for $4.25 million.

News of settlement was first reported by NJLawJournal.com.

The then-2-year-old boy entered Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune on Feb. 26, 2013 to undergo a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and a procedure to widen his airway, the report said.

Shortly after coming out of surgery, the toddler began showing signs of respiratory distress. Instead of being intubated, the boy was left with a nurse and a pediatric resident doctor for a half-hour as his condition deteriorated, according to the family's attorney.

Gynecologist sued after woman dies of cervical cancer

Doctors finally began to intubate him at 5:10 p.m., 10 minutes after his oxygen level dropped and he went into respiratory and cardiac arrest, according to the suit.

The unit's attending physician claimed the the doctor who performed the procedure told him not to intubate. The surgeon denied he gave those instructions. 

In addition to brain damage due to being without oxygen for several minutes following post-obstructive pulmonary edema, the boy also has a seizure disorder.

The doctors and an anesthesiologist agreed to settle for $1 million each. Jersey Shore agreed to pay $250,000. The suit was filed in Essex County, where the boy's family lived. The judge approved the deal June 26. 

A spokeswoman for Jersey Shore University Medical Center didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from NJ Advance Media. 

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

 

16-year-old boy accused of having loaded handgun

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Weapon was reported stolen in Maryland, according to police.

NEWARK -- A 16-year-old boy was arrested on charges he had a stolen, loaded handgun and ran from police in Newark's West Ward, officials said Friday.

Police saw the teen with a gun on the 500 block of South 19th Street around 4 p.m. Thursday, according to authorities. The city youth ran and tossed the .40 caliber handgun before he was arrested.

Authorities said the weapon was loaded with hollow point bullets and previously reported stolen in Maryland.

The teen, whose name was not released because of his age, was charged with weapons offenses, receiving stolen property and resisting arrest.

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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Pair, including 66-year-old, arrested in Newark for drug dealing

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The men were allegedly selling drugs out of apartments near Lincoln Park

NEWARK -- Two city men who were in possession of a variety of narcotics with a combined street value of $8,000 were arrested Friday, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

Screenshot (193).pngFuquan Thompson (left) and Charles Smith (Newark police)  

Members of the public tipped police off to drug activity going on in two apartments inside a building near Lincoln Park, Ambrose said. After obtaining a search warrant, police seized 218 glassine envelopes of heroin, 41 grams of unpackaged heroin, 173 vials of cocaine, 5 grams of fentanyl and nearly 48 grams of marijuana. Police also found a loaded .22-caliber handgun and drug paraphernalia, Ambrose said.

Fuquan Thompson, 40, and 66-year-old Charles Smith were both charged with several narcotics offenses, including possession and distribution. Smith was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon while committing a CDS (controlled dangerous substance) crime.  

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

 

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Thefts of new cars expectedly growing. Here are the 25 most stolen ones

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Anti-theft technology has made it increasingly difficult to steal a new car. But the number of new cars being taken by thieves is unexpectedly on the rise.

Mayor awarded $7K after jury tosses employee's 'outrageous' sex assault claims

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The woman now owes the Irvington mayor a $7,000 payment for defaming his character with her accusations, the jury found

NEWARK -- Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss has been cleared in what he called a "far fetched" civil lawsuit claiming that he sexually assaulted and sexually harassed a township employee three years ago.

18317096-mmmain.jpgIrvington Mayor Tony Vauss in a file photo. (Bill Wichert | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

A jury Wednesday sided with Vauss, who has staunchly denied allegations in a suit filed by Irvington housing inspector Tamara Smith, who claimed that the mayor harassed her and sexually assaulted her in a city hall office on June 9, 2014, attorneys involved in the case said Friday. The jury also ordered Smith to pay Vauss $7,000 for defaming his character, attorneys confirmed.

"It's been a long journey," Vauss said in a phone interview about the verdict Friday.

"Unfortunately throughout the three years, you have to endure all the speculation, all the people who thought this might have actually happened, even though I denied it from the beginning. It was just so outrageous."

Smith's attorney, Paul Castronovo, did not return a request for comment Friday, but told the New Jersey Law Journal his client was planning to appeal the decision.

Vauss said the Essex County Prosecutor's Office previously investigated Smith's allegations, and did not arrest or bring criminal charges against him. The township also hired a third party firm to investigate the alleged incident, which also found no wrongdoing, he said.

The suit had helped spur an unsuccessful recall bid against Vauss in 2015.

Vauss said attorneys questioned the credibility of her story, and believed she had financial ulterior motives for making the allegations.

Vauss's attorney, Christopher Kinum, said the jury voted unanimously to clear Vauss of the charges, and voted 5 to 1 in favor of his counterclaim, which alleged Smith defamed his character when telling others in city hall of her allegations.

"We're thrilled that the criminal justice system worked," said Kineum, of Critchley, Kinum, and Denola in Roseland. "The jury unanimously found that Tamara Smith falsely accused Tony Vauss."

Smith, who still holds her $49,400 civil service job in the township, filed the suit in October 2014.

Angelo Genova, who represented the township in the case, declined to comment on Smith's employment with the township, but did say he agreed with the jury's verdict.

"The township believes the jury got it right and made the proper credibility determination here," said Genova, of Genova Burns in Newark.

He added the township "hopes that this closes a chapter for Mayor Vauss and the township."

In the suit, Smith said she felt "humiliated, intimidated, and abused" when in Vauss's company. 

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

Man critical after Newark dispute turns violent

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Newark police said one man was injured in a Friday night shooting after a dispute.

NEWARK -- A man is in critical but stable condition after he was shot shortly before midnight on Friday, Newark police said. 

Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the man was injured during a dispute but declined to release more details on the shooting citing the ongoing investigation. 

The shooting occurred on the 200 block of Muhammad Ali Ave. 

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

 

'Most Wanted' fugitive sought in brutal N.J. murder snared in Virginia

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A New Jersey gang member on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list sought in connection to a brutal murder has been arrested in Virginia

NEWARK -- A New Jersey gang member on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, sought in connection to a brutal murder, has been arrested in Virginia, officials said.

FBITop10MostWanted_WalterYovanyGomez1.jpegWalter Yovany Gomez. (FBI photo)
 

Walter Yovany Gomez is accused of taking part in the Plainfield killing Julio Matute on May 15, 2011 -- a murder that authorities claim was part of Gomez's initiation process to become a member of the international street gang, MS-13. 

Federal authorities based in Newark announced Saturday Gomez had been arrested in Woodbridge, Va., after receiving a tip from the public. 

"The apprehension of Walter Yovany Gomez is a prime example of the close coordination between the vigilant public and the hard working men and women of law enforcement," Timothy Gallagher, special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark Division, said in a statement.

Gomez, of Honduras, will face charges of murder and racketeering once he is extradited to New Jersey, the release said. 

Gomez, who was in his 20s during the killing, and a co-conspirator allegedly ambushed Matute, beat him with a baseball bat, sliced his throat and stabbed him 17 times with a screw driver because they believed Matute had socialized with a rival gang, authorities said. 

Gomez was indicted in September 2013 on federal racketeering charges along with 13 others as part of an FBI probe, but Gomez escaped during the raids of the Plainfield chapter of the gang. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

PHOTOS: Jazz lovers swing to the beat at Montclair Jazz Festival

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The eighth annual Montclair Jazz Festival took place on Saturday in Nishuane Park.

MONTCLAIR -- The lawn at Nishuane Park came alive with the sounds of horns, saxophones and singing on Saturday as music lovers gathered for the eighth annual Montclair Jazz Festival

Organized by the jazz vocalist Melissa Walker, the free festival brought performances by Dee Dee Bridgewater & Memphis Soulphony; A Christian McBride Situation; and the Cyrus Chestnut. 

Walker, whose husband is jazz bassist Christian McBride, is the president and founder of Jazz House Kids, an arts education nonprofit in Montclair that started 15 years ago. 

"We are proud that the Montclair Jazz Fest has metamorphosed into one of the largest and greatest free summer events in New Jersey," Walker said in a statement. "Along with the Montclair Film Festival in the spring, the Montclair Jazz Fest has become part of the fabric of our community and a world-class event, solidifying this town's standing as a thriving arts and cultural destination all year round."

The day featured a beer garden and kid-friendly events sponsored by the Montclair Library and Montclair Art Museum. 

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

Cops who saved lives: Here's some of N.J.'s most heroic officers

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These officers have pulled people from burning homes, from the water and even saved people from themselves.

'It's starting to hit me,' Newark graduate gets ready for Harvard

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Newark high school graduate Kim Boerrigter leaves Tuesday to begin her freshman year at Harvard.

NEWARK -- Kim Boerrigter can't stop smiling when she talks about it. 

The 18-year-old graduate of Malcolm X Shabazz High School, pushes back her brown hair hanging a few inches over a T-shirt that reads: "Straight off to Cambridge, MA."

Boerrigter is going to Harvard University this fall -- on a full scholarship. 

"Now the days leading up to it, it's starting to hit me," Boerrigter said. "It's mix of excitement and just being really grateful to have this world-class education and I don't have to break any bank accounts to get it."

She was the valedictorian of her class with a 4.2 GPA, presented novel enzyme research at the largest earth and space science conference in the world and is an avid reader of Edgar Allen Poe. 

But she admits she loves playing video games, too, and geeked out when parts of the Harvard campus resembled the Great Dining Hall from Harry Potter. 

"They had stained-glass in the freshman dining hall," she said. "And like chandeliers."

In the months since her Harvard acceptance, Boerrigter has received an outpouring of support from the city: Municipal resolutions supporting her achievements, widespread congratulations on Facebook and a $2,500 donation from a stranger whose mother was a Newark teacher.

"Once it hit me, that the whole, literally the whole city was coming together over this, I thought it was really the most wonderful thing," she said. "Usually the whole neighborhood comes together for candlelight vigils at Penn Station when god forbid something bad happens but now that I could be the reason for the whole neighborhood coming together and it's a good thing -- my heart skipped a beat."

'Science is life'

Born in Germany, Boerrigter came to Newark when she was 3 years old and was raised by her mother. Her father is Nigerian but not involved. She said she knew she wanted to be a forensic pathologist since she was 12 (she watched a lot of NCIS).

"I've always had an interest in all my science classes," she said. "It's fascinating to me, the fact that we are here and the planets exist, that life exists the way it does, that all these conditions are so perfect to the point that we could be having these conversations right here and the very fabric that we're made of not being ripped apart, science is life."

For Boerrigter, perseverance is everything. She's kept up her German and is fluent, and convinced her mother to let her live a year in Germany with her grandmother  when she was in the third grade. At Shabazz, she spent nearly two hours every other day seeking more knowledge from her math teacher Patrick Murray during his planning periods. He helped her conceptualize math and how to apply it to science. 

"When I'm in class and I don't understand something, it bothers me to not know," she said. "I don't just want the A, I want to know how I got it and what I need to do to get it."

Murray said Boerrigter was instrumental in the school's Bio-Geo-Chemistry Team that traveled to the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco to present their cutting-edge enzyme research. Andrew Steen, a professor at the University of Tennessee, is publishing a manuscript using much of the novel data, Murray said.

"She's doing graduate level science without all the coursework," he said. "She's going to be the one who writes the protocol (forensic pathologists) use ... she's going to shake this stuff up."

Boerrigter leaves Tuesday for her freshman orientation and says she'll miss the city she grew up in, including her favorite staples: Vonda's Kitchen and Sabor Unido. 

She sees her career path, though, as one that could one day have an impact on communities like Newark. She hopes to major in human evolutionary biology, go to medical school and advance the field of forensics to help bring closure to families who have lost loved ones. 

"I see it as a public service and it's something I can give back to people," she said. "Many of my friends have been to more funerals than they should have at the age of 18 and so when you don't even see some of your peers being able to graduate from high school ... that's some closure that people will never get."

'It worked out nice'

About 5-10 Newark students are accepted into Ivy League schools every year, the school district said, but some can't afford to go. 

Boerrigter said she's lucky for the opportunity. Without the scholarships she couldn't afford Harvard's $65,000 tuition. Her mother often works 12-hour shifts as a home health aide. 

"Me coming from traditionally environments where people don't seem to have the availability of resources, I just find it amazing that I'll be able to do all these great programs and not have to worry about where the next meal in school is coming from," she said.

She applied to 22 schools and was accepted to other prestigious universities like Johns Hopkins.

Harvard wasn't always on her mind. In fact, Boerrigter said it wasn't until some family friends suggested she apply that she decided to try.

"It worked out nice," she laughs. 

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

Fellow top brass back embattled chief as details of arrest investigation emerge

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Probing the fallout from controversial arrests in Maplewood after a fireworks event last year. Watch video

MAPLEWOOD -- While future changes in the Maplewood Police Department remain unclear, details are emerging about the investigation into four arrests that have catapulted the small township into a high profile controversy.

A spokeswoman for the Essex County prosecutor this week confirmed some details about the office's investigation into the arrests of four teenagers in Maplewood on July 5, 2016. Township officials have criticized the investigation, which went on from September 2016 to April 2017, as taking too long.

"The case took time to investigate because there was a lot of evidence and numerous witnesses, not all of which were cooperative," spokeswoman Katherine Carter told NJ Advance Media.

maplewood-police-chief-cimino.jpgMaplewood Police Chief Robert Cimino. 

"The time was not unusually long. Our cases often take many months to investigate."

According to Carter, the Maplewood Police Internal Affairs Unit referred the investigation to the prosecutor's office last year. In April, the office found "there was insufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution of the officers and returned the matter to the municipality for administrative action," Carter said.

Maplewood's investigation is still ongoing, but six officers have been disciplined in the probe.

After a year of residents questioning the incident, in which officers arrested four teens who were part of a large, allegedly rowdy, fighting crowd who gathered after a township fireworks display, the township committee ordered the release of video footage of the incident.

Several days after the video was released, the committee took a vote of no confidence in the police chief, Robery Cimino, and placed him and another high-ranking police official on administrative leave.

While Cimino has declined to comment on the incident, Carter said the prosecutor's office investigated not only the actions of the officers who responded that night, but also of the chief.

The Association of Chiefs of Police of Essex County, a professional association, sent a letter to the township last week expressing support for Cimino, who has been chief in Maplewood since 2000.

"Personally, he's been an awesome chief," Mark Deuer, chief of the North Caldwell Police Department and president of the chiefs' association, told NJ Advance Media in a phone interview.

"It's hard to understand (the committee's) action."

Timeline: How 4 arrests led to chief's suspension

Township officials have declined to comment specifically on Cimino, but Deputy Mayor Nancy Adams said the committee is waiting for the results of a report it commissioned from an outside agency on the structure and policies of the police department.

Deuer said Cimino and the organization are waiting for more information from the town on the exact reasoning behind his suspension. Deuer also pointed to the closed prosecutor's office investigation, and ongoing internal affairs investigation -- noting that the way the entire controversy unfolded is "not the normal course of action."

In his letter to the town, Deuer committed the chiefs' association to supporting Cimino however the issue moves forward.

"Chief Cimino is a true leader who has served with pride, distinction, integrity and transparency while holding his position as chief of police," Deuer wrote in the letter.

"He has a proven track record as a fair and impartial law enforcement executive and has committed his entire career to the residents of the township of Maplewood."

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

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