We are at a critical point in our democracy and history as a nation, and staying on the sidelines is not an option.

By Demelza Baer

Last Saturday, the nation watched with horror and trepidation as white supremacists from across the country descended on Charlottesville to protest the plan by local officials to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee.

Many of the white supremacists arrived brandishing flags and symbols of the Confederacy and Nazi Germany, openly bearing weapons, and shouting racist, anti-Semitic, and xenophobic chants.  That day, one of the marchers allegedly drove his car into a large crowd of counter-protesters, killing Heather D. Heyer, and injuring many others.  That same day, two state troopers, Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M. M. Bates, died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the events unfolding.

In response, people across the country repudiated the white supremacists and their messages of hate, and the hashtag #ThisIsNotUs began trending.

Unfortunately, it is us.

People of color, religious and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities have not yet achieved full equality in the United States.  And, every time that people of color achieve significant progress towards equality, it's met with an inevitable backlash and period of retrenchment. 

Make no mistake: we are at a critical point in our democracy and history as a nation, and staying on the sidelines is not an option.

Structural racism and inequality was built into the fabric of our country through slavery and the Three-Fifths clause in the Constitution, which was a compromise between Northern and Southern states that determined that slaves -- who could not vote -- would count as three-fifths of a person when allocating representatives to the South.

Even after the Civil War and the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments that ended slavery, it took another 100 years for our nation to make discrimination illegal through the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  Following the South's loss in the Civil War, and their begrudging ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, states began to pass "black codes," which sharply limited rights of newly-free black people.  These laws effectively created a system of indentured servitude, based on strict labor contract and anti-vagrancy provisions that restricted the ability of black people to leave the Southern plantations.  These laws expanded to limit nearly every single right of black people, including the Constitutionally-guaranteed right to vote, and to create an entirely separate set of laws on the basis of race -- known as Jim Crow segregation.

During that time, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) -- a hate group of white supremacists -- terrorized people of color and their allies in the South through lynchings, tar-and-featherings, rape, and murder.  Although black people were their primary targets, the KKK also assaulted Jews, immigrants, LGBTQ people, and Catholics.

And, as recently as my grandparents' generation, our country helped lead the Allied nations to victory in World War II over the Axis powers, led by Adolf Hitler in Germany.  Hitler believed in white supremacy and the existence of a master race, and he oversaw the systematic genocide of six million Jewish people during his regime.  Millions of people across our country have family members who died during the Holocaust or in battle for the Allied nations, and others remember it firsthand from their experiences.

This is our history, and the context for the dangers posed by the white nationalists and KKK members that descended on Charlottesville, leaving violence in their wake.  While this is the freshest wound on the nation's conscience, white supremacist and hate groups have been a continual presence in our nation -- and they've been on the rise and emboldened since the presidential election.

Unfortunately, we cannot rely on the federal government to effectively confront this rise of hate and backlash against the civil and human rights of people of color, religious and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.  President Trump did not even single out the white supremacists for condemnation after Charlottesville, but equivocated that there was blame on both sides.  This is not a complete surprise, given his support of the racist birther movement, which challenged the U.S. citizenship of President Obama, and his administration's aggressive efforts to roll back civil rights gains -- particularly in voting, criminal justice reform, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, and immigration reform.

But, there is much that we can do here in New Jersey, starting with speaking out against hatred, racism, and bigotry -- and asking the same of our state and local elected officials.  We must also confront structural racism and inequality head-on, ensuring that New Jersey strives to be a  national standard-bearer for justice.

First, we must restore the right to vote to the over 94,000 people currently disfranchised in New Jerseybecause of a criminal conviction.  Laws restricting the right to vote based on a criminal convictionoften date back to Jim Crow, and due to deep and widespread discrimination in the criminal justice system, they disproportionately deny the right to vote to people of color.  Three-quarters of those disfranchised -- over 70,000 people -- are living in the community, raising families, and paying taxes, but voiceless in our democracy.

Second, we have to continue to reform our criminal and juvenile justice systems, tackling inequality, police abuses, and over-incarceration.  After the civil rights gains of the 1960s, there was a retrenchment to restrict rights through the expansion of the criminal justice system, and collateral consequences for convictions.  As a critical step, New Jersey should address the significant racial disparities in its juvenile justice system.  As of Jan. 1, 2017, there were 13 white youth and 148 black youth incarcerated in New Jersey's youth prisons, despite similar rates of offending between black and white youth.  To turn back the tide of mass incarceration, we must close costly and ineffective youth prisons and invest resources in a comprehensive community-based system of care.

Third, we need to address the growing economic inequality in our nation and state.  As we detail in our report, Bridging the Two Americas: Employment & Economic Opportunity in Newark & Beyond, there is a record level of inequality in the nation right now -- and it's growing.  People of color are the most affected by economic inequality, but it has also been used as a wedge issue to separate low-income whites against low-income people of color -- despite the fact that they have the same economic interests.  Just as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. urged poor people of all races and ethnicities to unite around their shared economic interests in a Poor Peoples' Campaign, people in New Jersey should unite around a shared platform of economic justice -- starting with raising the minimum wage to $15.  

Together, New Jersey and our cities can stand with Charlottesville as a bulwark against hate and the retrenchment of our rights, joining cites across the nation, like Baltimore, Gainesville, Lexington, and New Orleans.  As Dr. King said, quoting Theodore Parker, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Demelza Baer is senior counsel & director of the Economic Mobility Initiative at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

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Troy Chabrier is accused in the burglaries in Newark's Forest Hill neighborhood.

Troy Chabrier (Courtesy of Newark PD)

NEWARK -- City police have arrested a 57-year-old man in connection with five burglaries in Newark's Forest Hill neighborhood.

Newark resident Troy Chabrier was charged Friday in one burglary on the 200 block of Grafton Avenue, three in the Forest Hill Apartment Complex and one on the 400 block of Mount Prospect Avenue. 

In the Aug. 9 burglary on Grafton Avenue, Chabrier stole jewelry and money from a home around 1:50 p.m. before he fled, police said. 

A caller contacted police about Chabrier's location, and officers from Newark's second precinct arrested him without incident, police said.

Chabrier is charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and theft.

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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Forget what you think: Carey still belts with aplomb, and Richie hasn't aged in 20 years

NEWARK -- So, Friday night in Newark was technically Lionel Richie's show, and he will get his due praise for what was an energetic, all-world funky good time. 

But much of last night's Prudential Center audience was there to see a certain diva special guest, whose recent "live" TV performances have spurred polarization: dissenters are quick to assure Mariah Carey can no longer sing live and lip-syncs all her concert -- especially after the New Year's Eve debacle where her in-ears failed and she refused to soldier on -- while diehards say Mimi's voice as strong as ever. 

It was time to see which rumor was true, and frankly, I was dubious of what the '90s radio queen had left in the tank. Did she even want this "All the Hits" tour opening slot in the first place or was it just a money grab? 

Gorgeous Queen. [?][?] #mariahcarey #myqueen #myhero #myeverything #queenofmusic #thevoice #legend #songwriter #bestsinger #icon #bestsellingfemaleartist #wonderfulperson #inspirationalperson #beauty #flawless #allthehits #tour #concert #newark #newjersey

A post shared by Maureen Alaphilippe (@maureen_85) on Aug 19, 2017 at 2:35am PDT

Carey played an hour-long set Friday, for all of which I sat on the edge of my seat, watching hawk-like for any lip-syncing, listening for a live vocal track that was maybe doing all the work. By the end it was clear: I had it all wrong.

Minus a few cranked-up backing tracks on newer dance songs, like the shaky opener "I'm That Chick," Mariah sang live and sang very well. It wasn't flawless, but her heyday smashes "My All," "Always Be My Baby" and "One Sweet Day" were belted with all the bells and whistles -- including her defining "dog whistle" register -- and when she emerged for her encore, draped in a radiant red gown for "Hero," the impassioned, stellar vocal gave me serious chills. There was joy and power there, something we'd lost from the mega-star in past years, especially in television appearances alone.

When mariahs earring fell off lol #realmoments #showmustgoon @mariahcarey #mariahcarey #hero

A post shared by JC Powell (@instatranman) on Aug 19, 2017 at 4:29am PDT

Next to me, tears welled up in the eyes of my concert companion (my mom, who, for the record, never doubted Mariah). 

But mom did have a small criticism: "I just think she shouldn't have worn those shoes -- she couldn't move!" 

Truth, mama, truth. Five-inch stilettos kept the 47-year-old teetering around the triangular stage like a newborn giraffe, and she was regularly helped along -- or scooped up and carried altogether -- by her troupe of formally attired dancers. When Carey's six-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe visited her onstage for "Always Be My Baby," jumping around the golden throne from which Mariah began her show, Mariah couldn't have chased them down if she wanted to. Some glittery flats would've been fine, we wouldn't have judged. 

A few more old-school No. 1's would have been welcomed, too. This tour was called "All the Hits," and while Carey didn't have enough set time to revisit all 18 of her chart-toppers (still a record for solo artists), she left fan favorites  "Honey," "Fantasy," "Someday," "Emotions," and "Dreamlover" all on the cutting room floor in favor of later-career tracks like "Touch My Body" and "I Know What You Want." 

Lionel Richie revs up

Lionel Richie led the parade down memory lane. 

"I'm gonna have so much fun tonight, you have no idea," said the wide-grinning ex-Commodore and purveyor of wedding-song schmaltz, before unleashing his long list of radio smashes, and virtually nothing else. Now this was "All the Hits." 

Apparently the knee that postponed the 68-year-old's concert two months was fully healed as Richie was the consummate entertainer this night, traipsing around the stage, endlessly shimmying for "Dancing on the Ceiling," "Brick House" and "Running with the Night."

All night Richie was quick to joke; after the old Commodores ballad "Just to be Close to You," the frontman looked into the crowd and said to a male fan with a female companion: "That (song) was the closer, man, if it doesn't work on that song, it's not gonna work tonight."

Lionel Richie performs at the Prudential Center with Mariah Carey opening. Friday August 18, 2017. Newark, NJ, USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)  

Earlier, before "Stuck on You," Richie told a story from a backstage meet-and-greet Friday evening: "A 275-pound man came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said 'I've made love to you many times, Lionel.' ... I said 'it's a damn lie!'" A roar of laughs rose from the crowd. 

And preceding "Sail On," Richie was a bit more earnest: "Tonight we are celebrating love songs, where you were, what you were doing and who you were doing it with."

The audience ate up the crisp production and fine balance of dancey sing-alongs and ballads, the latter of which Richie led from a grand piano at center stage. A disco ball shot a spool of lights around the arena for "Hello" and suddenly it was 1984 all over again. 

A tight five-piece band backed Richie, and major kudos to the woodwind multi-instrumentalist and keyboardist (whose name I cannot locate), who rocked an array of saxophone, pan flute and harmonica solos and might have even played the bassoon on one song. 

Richie was as good as advertised, Carey was better than she's been recently portrayed. The hits rained down. What more could you want, other than an "Endless Love" duet, with Mariah singing Diana Ross's part -- why didn't that happen?! 

#memories #2016 [?] [?] #lionelrichie #hello #iloveyou #ilongtoseethesunlightinyourhair #souvenirsdechat #lasvegas #incroyable #waaahhhhh #showtime #planethollywood #onremetcaquandtuveux #love @pablo_viatte [?] [?] [?] [?]

A post shared by Andrea (@lavieen_rose01) on Aug 19, 2017 at 2:11am PDT

Lionel Richie's set list

• "Easy" / "My Love" (Commodores song)
• "Running With the Night"
• "Penny Lover"
• "Truly"
• "You Are"
• "Stuck on You"
• "Dancing on the Ceiling"
• "Three Times a Lady" (Commodores song)
• "Sail On" (Commodores song)
• "Fancy Dancer" / "Sweet Love" / "Lady" (You Bring Me Up)
• "Just to be Close to You" (Commodores song)
• "Brick House" / "Fire" (Commodores song)
• "Hello"
• "Say You, Say Me"
• "We Are the World" (U.S.A. for Africa cover)
• Encore:
• "All Night Long (All Night)"

Mariah Carey's set list

• "I'm That Chick"
• "Love Hangover" / "Heartbreaker"
• "Touch My Body"
• "I Know What You Want" (Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey cover)
• "My All"
• "Always Be My Baby"
• "Don't Forget About Us" 
• "One Sweet Day" (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men cover)
• "It's Like That"
• "Vision of Love"
• "We Belong Together"
• Encore:
• "Hero"

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Mamie Tarver, a longtime New Jersey resident, is as spunky as ever after 11 decades of life.

CRANFORD -- When Mamie Tarver has something to say, she sings. Or she references her Methodist faith. Occasionally, she says words that make her grandchildren blush. 

"She's remained as spunky as ever," her granddaughter, Tiffany Basma, said as she visited Tarver on a recent Wednesday. "It goes from quoting Bible verses to needing a censor." 

A longtime Cranford resident, Tarver is known at her nursing home for her gentle nature and bright spirit. She calls herself a "prayer mother," and residents at Cranford Health and Extended Care Center seek her out and ask her to pray for them, her son, Norman Morse, said. 

"Pray, pray, ever on the line. You can run, but you can't hide!" Tarver sang as her granddaughter fussed with her hair.

It's just rambling, Morse said, but at 110 years old, Tarver's family is just grateful she still has her signature moxie and heart. 

In 1907, Dole Food Company moved a pineapple cannery to Honolulu. The Cubs won the World Series. Oklahoma became the 46th state admitted to the Union. And Mamie Tarver was born to a white mother and an African-American father in Alabama. 

She had a difficult childhood, Basma said. She had to drop out of school after the third grade to help support her family, and she got a job cleaning a butcher shop so she could take home the scraps. 

Tarver moved north to Newark and lived there for a few years before she came to Cranford as a teenager, Morse said. Families used to hire her to host parties, and she did day labor helping her neighbors. She traveled to work without ever learning to drive a car. 

Through the years, Tarver mentored her descendants at Sunday night barbecues at her Johnson Avenue home. She had distinct views on what it meant to be a lady.

Tarver taught Basma how to cook and advised her to wear slips under her dresses and go to finishing school. Joules Litus, a nurse at Tarver's extended care center, said Tarver tells her what to do to keep a man. 

She was married to Peter Tarver, who passed away when he was 82. But Morse said the people his mother has lost are never really gone to her. 

"She still talks about people like it's the present," he said. "She talks about her sisters like she hasn't talked to them in awhile."

Although Tarver now gets daily help at her extended care center, she remains in good health for a woman her age. She doesn't take medication or need glasses, and she could still walk if she had to, Morse said. 

She recognizes people by face, if not by name. She sewed clothing, like a light blue floral apron, until she was almost 100 years old. She's the oldest resident at the nursing home.

Each April since 2007, dozens of Tarver's relatives have celebrated her birthday at the extended care center. As time passes, her family has grown accustomed to expecting another party, year after year. 

"When she turned 100, it was a milestone, and then she kept living," Basma said. "When she turned 102, it was like, 'Okay, same place next year!'" 

They plan to be back next spring to celebrate a woman whose enthusiasm and wit have kept them laughing for 111 years. 

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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The much-anticipated opening of Barcade at 494 Broad Street, Newark is scheduled for Saturday, Aug.26

NEWARK -- It's almost here. 

The long-anticipated opening of Barcade, a chain of craft beer bars featuring classic arcade games, will open its doors in Newark on Saturday, Aug. 26.

"We're very happy with the way it turned out and hopefully we'll be a good addition," Paul Kermizian, CEO and co-founder of Barcade, told NJ Advance Media.

Newark will be Barcade's seventh location and its second in New Jersey. Other locations include Jersey City, Philadelphia, New Haven, Conn. and three in New York City.

Kermizian, who grew up in Jersey, said the company wanted to expand and Newark was a logical next step.

"It's a great city, it's got a lot of character and great architecture. It seemed like a good time to get to establish ourselves," he said. The 4,000 square-foot space is located on 494 Broad Street near a light rail line, Broad Street train station, Rutgers Business School, NJPAC, and Audible.com's offices.

"I think it can be a good night life area," Kermizian said. "We're a little early maybe, but we're confident that there's going to be a nightlife soon."

Baracade offers 25 draft beers, mostly from local or regional breweries. The bar doubles as a vintage arcade with pinball machines and 40 video games mostly from the 1980s and 90s like PacMan, Donkey Kong, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel vs. Capcom. 

The area around Broad Street has seen a transformation this year with the opening of the renovated Hahne & Co. building featuring a Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble. 

Kermizian said 27 employees will work at Barcade, 15 of whom are Newarkers.

Barcade will be open noon to midnight Sundays through Thursdays and noon to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information visit www.barcade.com.

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

The girls were visiting relatives and were left overnight with their older cousin when the attack occurred, authorities said

Antonio WilliamsPrince George's County Police Department 

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. -- Two young sisters from Newark were stabbed to death in Maryland on Friday allegedly by their older cousin, who is accused of also killing his young sister in the mass slaying, authorities said.

Prince George's County police identified the Newark girls as Ariana Decree, 9, and her younger sister Ajayah Decree, 6, of Palmer Street.

The girls were visiting relatives in Clinton, where they, along with their cousin Nadira Withers, 6, were left in the overnight care of Withers' brother, Antonio Williams, the police department said in a news release.

Withers mother arrived home on the 6400 block of Brooke Jane Drive around 7:35 a.m. Friday and found the girls suffering from stab wounds, the statement said. The girls were pronounced dead at the scene.

Williams, 25, admitted to killing the girls, authorities said. He was charged with three counts of murder as well as with related charges, police said.

Investigators were still working to determine a motive, the release said.

The Decree girls are the daughters of Williams' mother's cousin, authorities said.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It was the game where you controlled the action, sort of. In 1948, Norman Sas of Alpine, N.J., came up with a game that most every male child (and, some girls) played -- electric football. An employee at the Sas family company, Tudor Metal Products, had tinkered with vibrating electric games in the 1940s, but Sas' brainstorm of applying...

It was the game where you controlled the action, sort of.

In 1948, Norman Sas of Alpine, N.J., came up with a game that most every male child (and, some girls) played -- electric football.

An employee at the Sas family company, Tudor Metal Products, had tinkered with vibrating electric games in the 1940s, but Sas' brainstorm of applying it to football led to the development of a toy that remained popular into the 1980s.

It was a simple but ingenious concept, requiring almost no changes from its invention through the decades of sales that followed. Players with small plastic "brushes" on their bases were lined up on a metal playing field. When everything was set up, the flick of a switch started the field vibrating, making the players move forward, at least when the game was new.

Norman Sas, far right, in 1971 with electric football fans, including Pete Rozelle, second from left.Courtesy of Earl Shores and Roddy Garcia 

The play ended when a player on the defense came in contact with the ball carrier, the "ball " being a football-shaped piece of felt that fit in his plastic arm. The game itself often ended when player figures with older, worn-out bases began moving backward or in endless circles.

Over the years, the game evolved, with quarterbacks and their spring-loaded arms able to throw the ball (pass complete if it hit an eligible receiver) and spring-loaded kickers able to attempt field goals. Attachments that replicated scoreboards, clocks and even fans were included in later versions.

By 1967, Sas had signed a deal with the National Football League to add official team colors and logos. More than 40 million versions of the game were sold over the years with perhaps just as many little felt 'footballs' lost and eventually replaced with wadded-up paper.

Sas died in 2012, and was posthumously inducted into the Miniature Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

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

Authorities had initially reported that two people were shot while at a rest stop on the southbound side of the Turnpike in Woodbridge.

WOODBRIDGE -- Three people were injured in a shooting Friday night while in a vehicle on the New Jersey Turnpike, State Police said. 

The three, who sustained non-life threatening injuries, were shot in the area of Interchange 14 in Newark, police said Saturday. 

Authorities had initially reported that two people were shot while at a rest stop on the southbound side of the Turnpike in Woodbridge. 

At about 6:40 p.m. Friday, State Police were called to the Thomas Edison service area in Woodbridge for medical assistance stemming from a car accident. When they arrived, officers discovered that three people had been shot while in a vehicle in the area of Interchange 14 in Newark. 

The victims were then taken to area hospitals, authorities said.

More than a half-dozen State Police vehicles were clustered at the service area as officers taped off the main entrance to the rest stop. Detectives could be seen interviewing several people and searching trashcans with flashlights near the entrance.

No other information was available as of Sunday morning. 

State Police are asking anyone with information to call their Cranbury station at 732-441-4500 ext. 4400. 

Luke Nozicka can be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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Essex County College is on tenuous ground with its accrediting agency as the school's new president faces questions over hiring practices.

NEWARK -- Essex County College will face its first test under president Anthony Munroe next month when it shows the area's accrediting agency how far it's come since a scandal-laden year resulted in a series of high-profile firings and investigations. 

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education warned the college last year that its accreditation was in danger. A monitoring report is due Sept. 1 and a team of Middle States investigators will then be dispatched to the college to verify the report. 

But some remain worried about the college's instability amid signs of internal dispute.

Months into Munroe's tenure, the Board of Trustees rejected his key personnel appointments as behind the scenes, a high-ranking administrator raised concerns over his hiring practices, NJ Advance Media learned.

Two of Munroe's appointments, including a chief financial officer, were narrowly rejected in a 5-4 vote on Aug. 2.

"We have a new president, we want to partner with him and make sure that he is set up for success, but that does not excuse us as a governing body from conducting the due diligence necessary to make sure that whoever walks through the doors of this institution will serve without a hidden agenda, hidden motive," Board member Safanya Searcy, who voted against the two personnel appointments, said at the meeting. 

Board members declined to comment publicly on the reasons for their vote but some worried the vacant positions would further imperil accreditation. 

Board member Jeweline Grimes, who voted for the personnel appointments, said she felt the board was "in serious trouble." "I do not understand how this board can sit here tonight and not support the items we need to support," she said Aug. 2.

Hiring a CFO

Prior to the meeting, the vice president of administration and finance flagged Munroe's hiring practices as "unusual" and concerning, according to a July 17 memo obtained by NJ Advance Media.

Joyce Wilson Harley outlined her concerns about the process for selecting a new chief financial officer and alleged Munroe changed the job description without board approval, as required by policy, according to the memo sent to Munroe.

"When I questioned the error in the job description, I was told that the correct description was indeed given to you but you changed it," Harley wrote.

Harley acknowledged she authored the memo but declined to comment further. She added she was concerned "internal ECC correspondence had been leaked."

The board-approved CFO job description requires a candidate be a certified public accountant and report to the vice president of administration and finance, according to the job description obtained by NJ Advance Media. 

But a different job description was advertised -- it said the CFO would report directly to the president and dropped the CPA requirement, according to a copy of the advertised job. 

The CFO pick recommended by Munroe was not a certified public accountant, his resume said.

The college is now re-advertising for the position, using the job description approved by the board. 

"As Essex County College is facing a unique time in its history, there is much work to be done to ensure that dedicated, qualified personnel, with the requisite credentials, are on board and retained," the college said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. "To this end, the Administration and the Board of Trustees will continue to partner with each other to secure the resources necessary for a high-quality educational experience for all of our students."

Messages left with Munroe prior to the Aug. 2 board meeting were not returned and he declined to speak to a reporter after the board meeting. Requests for comment on the memo were unanswered.

'Let's get the job done'

Munroe was unanimously picked by the Board of Trustees as a "turnaround expert" who could save the institution -- serving predominantly black and Latino students -- from plunging enrollment and alleged mismanagement. 

The college's previous president Gale Gibson was unanimously fired by the board. Gibson and Vice President for Human Resources Rashidah Hasan, who was also terminated, have sued the college claiming they were retaliated against for investigating financial improprieties at the school.

Gibson and Hasan recommended several employees be suspended, including Harley, for failing to monitor the college's finances but they were the ones ultimately fired in 2016.

"ECC is in trouble right now," said Lev D. Zilbermints, a 1993 graduate who remains active. "They need cardinal reforms, top to bottom."

The college is on shaky ground with three accreditation standards: Institutional resources, leadership and governance, and student admission and retention.

It's rare for a large public institution to be stripped of its accreditation. But if it does, students would no longer be eligible for federal student aid and current students' credits and degrees would be worthless if they tried to transfer to other colleges or apply to graduate school.

Essex County College opens its doors to students who otherwise would have no opportunities for higher education. The college enrolls about 15,000 students, or 6 percent of those attending community college in the state. In 2014-15, more than 8,000 federal Pell grants -- for low-income students -- were awarded to ECC students, about 10 percent of all those given in New Jersey, state data show.

Board member Thomas McDermott said he felt the board needed to "give (Munroe) all the tools we can to be successful."

"The president is new and he's got to find his way and it's up to us to help him with that ... I'm very much in favor of supporting this president," McDermott said.

He said it was important to hire a new CFO and if there were concerns about the process, that needed to be settled. "My feeling is: Let's get the job done ... the correction has been made. You got to move forward, we can't sit here and worry about who voted for what."

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

Township officials may soon restrict swimming to the popular swimming hole.

CEDAR GROVE -- An influx in swimmers at a popular swimming hole in Cedar Grove has town residents and officials scrambling to restrict the area. After all, they say, the area known as Devil's Hole can be deadly and contains sewage runoff.

Residents tell CBS2 New York that the visitors are coming in droves, causing increased traffic and trash to what is otherwise a quiet area where the entrance is between Pompton Avenue and Bowden Road. 

"This is a quiet town, and all of a sudden, you've got gangs of people coming out of nowhere," Brian DeVaney told the news station.

CBS news cameras caught a police officer pulling a couple swimmers out of the hole. One swimmer told a reporter the cop told him the area is filled with sewage. According to a report on NorthJersey.com, the hole possibly contains runoff from sewage treatment plants in Cedar Grove and neighboring Verona.

At least one person has died while swimming in the hole, the NorthJersey.com report said. The person reportedly died because he didn't know how to swim. 

The town council is now reportedly weighing the option to rewrite an ordinance that would ban swimming at Devil's Hole. 

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

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Police arrested Jordy Delouis, 18, of East Orange, after authorities say they seized two loaded semi-automatic handguns from a stolen vehicle he crashed.

NEWARK -- A reputed Bloods street gang member was arrested Saturday on weapons charges after police seized two loaded semi-automatic handguns from a stolen vehicle he crashed, authorities said.

Jordy Delouis. (Essex County Jail)
 

Jordy Delouis, 18, of East Orange, was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a defaced weapon, receiving stolen property and eluding police, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

Officers were running the license plate of a double-parked 2017 Kia Optima, occupied by four men, near the intersection of Sussex Avenue and Steuben Street in East Orange when they saw the driver -- later identified as Delouis -- end a conversation with a man by using a recognizable Bloods handshake, Fontoura said.

Officers followed the vehicle after the plate check revealed the car had been reported stolen out of Newark on Friday, authorities said. The Kia sped away as officers attempted to pull it over, police said. 

The Kia crashed into an Audi sedan stopped at a red light at the intersection of West Market and Humboldt streets in Newark and then careened into a chain link fence at the Donald M. Payne School construction site, police said. The four suspects got out of the car and fled on foot.

Delouis, however, limped away, police said. When he was captured and arrested, Delouis told police he had been shot in the leg two weeks ago, Fontoura said.

The driver of the Audi was not hurt and refused medical attention, police said.

Officers seized two loaded semi-automatic handguns, a Cobra FS380 and a Kel-Tec P11, from the stolen vehicle, Fontoura said.

"These two weapons have the capability of causing tremendous damage to the residents of our community," the sheriff said in a statement.

Delouis was also issued motor vehicle summonses for double parking, being an unlicensed driver, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, police said. 

He was held at the Essex County jail as he awaits a bail hearing.

Police are searching for the other three suspects.

Luke Nozicka can be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday responded to a report that he was told he was no longer a candidate to replace sports-talk host Mike Francesa.

TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday he pulled himself out of the running for a job as a sports-talk radio host on WFAN when he leaves office in January. 

The comments come a day after the New York Daily News reported that station executives told the brash-talking New Jersey governor he was no longer a candidate to replace iconic afternoon-drive host Mike Francesa, who is set to step down at the end of the year. 

Christie, a frequent guest host on the station, spent two days last month filling in as a co-host in Francesa's time slot -- a stint the station had referred to as a tryout. 

But Christie said in a statement Sunday that the Daily News story is "completely incorrect." 

"Three weeks ago, I was approached by WFAN management to do additional shows with other potential co-hosts," he said. "After considering the other options that I have been presented with for post-gubernatorial employment, I declined their request to do additional shows."

Full recap of Christie's bid to become a WFAN host

"I made station executives aware that while I would be happy to continue to fill in for Boomer when asked and when available, that they should no longer consider me as a candidate interested in any job at WFAN when I leave the governorship," Christie added. "I made that clear to them prior to leaving for my family vacation two weeks ago."

Jaime Saberito, a spokesperson for WFAN, told NJ Advance Media on Saturday that the station "has not yet made a decision regarding a new afternoon host, so we cannot confirm the accuracy of the Daily News report."

Saberito declined further comment Sunday.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The legendary comedian and Newark native passed away Sunday morning of natural causes at age 91 in Las Vegas with his family by his side.

LAS VEGAS  -- Jerry Lewis, the rubber-faced comedian and director whose fundraising telethons became as famous as his hit movies, has died.

Publicist Candi Cazau said the Newark native passed away Sunday morning of natural causes at age 91 in Las Vegas with his family by his side.

Lewis made a career unleashing his inner child, mocking snobs and flouting authority in the process. He leaves behind a list of credits spanning back to the Depression era, along with a legacy of debate among audiences.

For younger generations, Lewis was best known as tearful telethon host but turn the cultural clock back to the mid-20th century and Lewis was everywhere. He first won fame teamed with singer Dean Martin and later launched a prolific solo career. Lewis made art of incompetence, serving as a mascot for social dysfunction in an era of stifling conformity.

The iconic performer once said, "Comedy is a man in trouble and comedians react to it in different ways. Chaplin was a ballet dancer. He's danced through trouble. Keaton became part of a well-oiled machine. He'd slip easily through a small opening. I'd have my arms outstretched and get stuck."

Lewis tended to garner strong love/hate reactions, which is reflective of a life and career filled with contrasts and contradictions. He played disorderly characters on screen while behind the camera he took total control as auteur. 

His populist films were embraced by French intellectuals. He raised more than $1.4 billion for muscular dystrophy research yet his charity work earned equal amounts of praise and scorn. His zany shtick sprang from painful emotions, anxiety and self-doubt that plagued him from childhood. Lewis once proclaimed himself Hollywood's "most prominent and highly intelligent idiot."

It's fitting that his seminal movie is "The Nutty Professor," a Jekyll/Hyde farce about a nebbish who mixes a potion that transforms him into a suave ladykiller.
Commenting on his comedic persona in the 1982 autobiography, "Jerry Lewis: In Person," the star wrote, "I've always played my idiot character as I see life, a big dark storm that once in awhile is brightened by a rainbow of laughter."

Things were often dark and stormy for Lewis. He battled suicidal depression and addiction to painkillers, which he developed after suffering a back injury in 1965. His hostile breakup with Martin was tabloid fodder, as was his 1980 divorce from his first wife to marry a dancer two decades younger than him. His health problems included heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis.

His hostile breakup with Martin was tabloid fodder, as was his 1980 divorce from his first wife to marry a dancer two decades younger than him. His health problems included heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis.

Jerry Lewis was born on March 16, 1926, the son of Jewish vaudeville entertainers. His birth name was Joseph Levitch, according to most sources (the biography, "King of Comedy," by Shawn Levy claims his first name was actually Jerome).

He honed his craft in the Catskills and was barely out of his teens when he started playing nightclubs with Martin. Paired as smooth crooner and whiny klutz, the two dressed like grooms and capered like kids, developing an anarchic act fueled by their yin-yang dynamic. The team dominated showbiz for a decade, with hit movies, TV specials, albums and concert tours.

In Lewis' bestselling 2005 autobiography, "Dean & Me (A Love Story)" he discussed how timing was key to their success.

"The years just after (WWII) were uncertain ones. There was a lot of unease and rebellion under the country's placid surface. And so the sight of two grown men in a nightclub squirting water at each other and making silly jokes was a very welcome one."

After the duo split in 1956, Lewis reinvented himself sans partner, evolving into an ambitious director who worked independently within the studio system. He wrote, directed and starred in a series of comedies including "The Bellboy" and "The Ladies Man."

Lewis' most enduring role may be as philanthropist. In 1966, he hosted his first Labor Day Telethon, a 21-hour broadcast that aired on a single station, WNEW in New York to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The host welcomed guests like Joan Crawford, Henny Youngman and Chubby Checker while making earnest pleas for donations. Viewers responded with a surprising $1 million in pledges and a TV institution was born.

A throwback to the medium's early variety shows, the telethon goaded audiences to open their wallets with a mix of star power and unapologetic sentimentality. There were laughs and tears, as Lewis cut up with celebrity visitors and openly wept when he took the stage with young victims of the disease, dubbed "Jerry's kids." 

Even as total donations climbed, the telethon was scrutinized by advocates for the disabled, who condemned the show as tacky and criticized Lewis for making such remarks as "God goofed" while standing next to children in wheelchairs. Despite the controversy, the basic format of the show remained the same and despite declining health, Lewis never missed a year.

Lewis' popularity with American audiences crested during the mid-1960's but as his star dimmed in the United States, he found a following overseas. He has a famously passionate fan base in France, where he was presented with the Legion of Honor medal in 1984, an award usually reserved for world leaders. French director Jean-Luc Godard once said, "Jerry Lewis is the only American director who has made progressive films. He is much better than Chaplin and Keaton."

His most ardent enthusiasts in the States have been fellow actors and filmmakers. Lewis' freewheeling delivery and bizarre body language influenced generations of comics, from Steve Martin and Chevy Chase to Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy (who remade "The Nutty Professor," plus a sequel).

Directors such as Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and David Cronenberg were among those who looked up to Lewis as a guiding spirit. They were inspired by his technical sophistication as well as his ability to make films autonomously in Hollywood. 

Another famous admirer, Martin Scorsese coaxed an impressive dramatic performance from Lewis in "The King of Comedy," casting him as a bitter talk show host stalked by a fan (Robert De Niro) who hopes to inherit the throne.

Lewis' projects grew more diverse after the Scorsese gig. In 1989, he guest-starred on five episodes of the crime show, "Wiseguy," playing a garment manufacturer connected to the mob. The 1993 indie, "Arizona Dream," teamed him with Johnny Depp as eccentric uncle and nephew. In 1995, Lewis bowed on Broadway, starring as the devil in "Damn Yankees."

His final major role came in the 2013 drama "Max Rose," playing an aging jazz pianist.

In many ways, his serious efforts were more evocative of his personality than his comedies. No matter how much popularity he attained, he always felt underappreciated, often lashing out at dismissive film and TV critics. He once stated, "Don't say swell stuff over my grave."

His need for approval rooted back to a lonely childhood. Growing up in Irvington, he lacked a stable home environment. His parents would often be away on tour for months at a time, leaving him to stay with scattered relatives.

There was a sense of dread every time the phone rang. "I'd hold my breath, hoping it wouldn't be dad's agent calling him away on another road trip," Lewis recalled in his autobiography. "What I felt then, as much as anything, was the difference between me and the other kids, the need to know what a mother and a father surrounded by children was all about."

Still, he credited his father with teaching him the tools of the vaudeville trade, "the things that were made up in sweet songs and a tip of the old straw hat and a cane," he wrote in his autobiography.

Anti-Semitism was a looming ghost from his past. During the 1930's, North Jersey was home to a pro-Nazi group called the German-American Bund. Lewis witnessed one of their parades down Chancellor Ave. in Irvington. "I stood curbside, gaping at a tangle of stars and stripes and the swastika. I started to walk away, faster and faster to pull free of the sound."

He encountered prejudice at school from both students and faculty. His fifth-grade teacher scolded him for not participating in a singalong of Christmas carols. An incident with the principal at Irvington High School got him expelled. Chiding Lewis for misbehaving in class, the administrator started a sentence, "Why is it that only the Jews..."

Lewis smacked him in the mouth before he could complete his thought, according to "In Person." Showbiz lured him because, "I sensed the sad reality of my own life. I felt like I'd rather live in a world of make-believe, where I could be anyone I wish."

Lewis made his stage debut when he was five years old, singing "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" at the President Hotel in the Catskills. Later, while working in the dining room of the Arthur Resort in Lakewood, he clowned around serving tea to guests, developing skits with his coworkers based on Marx Brothers movies and westerns.

The first place he played was a burger joint, the Cozy Corner on the Jersey Shore, where he mimed "Figaro" wearing a pink wig and torn coat. He got paid $5 at the end of the night.

An agent booked him a series of shows at Loews theaters in the Garden State and within a year, he was traveling the country, Victrola in tow. At a tour stop in Detroit, he met a singer, Patti Palmer whom he married three months later at age 18. The couple had six sons, including pop star, Gary Lewis. (In 1992, Lewis adopted a daughter with his second wife, SanDee Pitnick.)

A year after marrying Patti, Lewis had another chance encounter that changed his life. He met Dean Martin on the street in New York, introduced to the singer by a mutual friend. Circumstance, rather than careful planning, made them partners.
During a stint at the 500 Club in Atlantic City, Lewis needed someone to replace the singer he'd been paired with, so he recruited Martin to fill in. On July 25, 1946, the Jewish funnyman and the Italian heartthrob ad-libbed an epic set in a sparsely populated room. 

It was instant alchemy, according to "Dean & Me." "Martin's own natural comic instincts dovetailed perfectly with mine and made the sum of one and one into two million."

The perfect partnership devolved into bitter rivalry, a clash of egos that led the two to call it quits after ten years together. Dishing about the breakup, gossip columnist Harriet Van Horne wrote, "I'm willing to bet that the first shattered atom split more sedately than Martin and Lewis."

Although the duo never officially reunited, Martin made a surprise appearance on the 1976 telethon, a one-time meet-up facilitated by Frank Sinatra. Lewis jokingly asked his former partner, "So, you working?"

In the aftermath of the duo's split, Lewis kept himself busy. His first solo film, "The Delicate Delinquent," was released the following year. Soon after, there was "The Geisha Boy," helmed by Frank Tashlin, a charismatic mentor who also directed "The Disorderly Orderly" and "Cinderfella."

When Lewis began working behind the camera -- becoming the first comic to direct himself since the silent movie era -- he drew upon all he'd learned observing Tashlin and other filmmakers, as well as his love of spectacle, absurdity and experimentation.

His 1960 debut, "The Bellboy," was an unconventional farce, a series of surreal misadventures rather than a linear story. Lewis' character, an accident prone hotel employee, doesn't speak until the closing moments.

While shooting the film, he developed a piece of technology that is still used by directors today. In order to work more efficiently, he mounted a video camera on the film camera, enabling him to watch takes on a closed circuit TV monitor. The device became known as "video assist."

A box office hit, "The Bellboy" earned Lewis the clout to continue pushing the envelope. With his sophomore project, "The Ladies Man," he oversaw construction of the largest set in Hollywood history, a four-story house with cutaway walls so the camera could pull back to reveal all the activity inside the building. Lewis portrayed heartbroken guy who takes a job in an all-girl residence populated by dozens of beautiful women.

Released in 1963, "The Nutty Professor" was a departure from earlier efforts. Lewis essentially played two lead roles, a gawky chemistry professor and his alter-ego, a lounge lizard with a mean streak. The movie contained virtuoso technical flourishes, including a memorable point-of-view shot of the newly transformed hipster strutting into a nightclub, and it also was more psychologically complex than anything Lewis had created prior, as he portrayed good and evil with equal credibility. 

After the triumph of "Nutty Professor," the star began to falter. His heavily-hyped primetime series, "The Jerry Lewis Show," tanked soon after debuting in 1963. The following year, his "Pygmalion" update, "The Patsy" flopped in theaters. The social upheaval of the decade made his antics seem increasingly quaint.

Lewis tried to branch out. In 1972, he began work as director and star of a Holocaust film, "The Day the Clown Cried," about a Jewish circus entertainer interned at a concentration camp, where he leads children to the gas chamber. Production was halted after funding fell through and the unfinished movie has never been screened in public.

Writing about the project in his autobiography, the comic acknowledged he had doubts going in but ultimately was lured by the challenge of playing such a character.

"I knew the loneliness in him, the fear, the desperation that lay deep in his soul. I knew that to play him would be no casual affair, but the greatest artistic wrench of my life. I thought (the film) would be a way to show that we don't have to tremble and give up in the darkness."

Even though Lewis never rebounded from his film failures, he had success in other areas. The "Damn Yankees" revival was a hot ticket, telethon proceeds increased yearly and his "Dean & Me" memoir made the bestseller list.

In the book, he described the duality that drove him, the mix of joy and melancholy he infused for laughs.

"Great comedy, in my mind, always goes hand in hand with great sadness. You can be funny without tapping into strong emotion, but the humor is more superficial. Funny without pathos is a pie in the face. And a pie in the face is funny, but I wanted more." 

NJ Advance Media reporter Lisa Rose contributed to this report.

Newark-born Jerry Lewis, who died today, had a reputation for being a difficult interview -- and we have the experience to prove it

The Newark-born comic legend Jerry Lewis, who died today in Las Vegas, at age 91, had a longstanding reputation for being difficult, especially when it came to giving press interviews.

As recently as 2016, The Hollywood Reporter attempted to get Lewis on the record. The ensuing video interview -- in which the interviewer haplessly attempted to get the comic to discuss the topic of working in the entertainment industry at an advanced age -- was one of those instantly viral train wrecks from which you couldn't look away.

So it wasn't as if expectations were that high when we were offered an interview with Lewis, in advance of a performance at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California. Nonetheless, given that at the time it was his first concert appearance in seven years -- and given how rare it was to get the Jersey legend on the phone with his hometown publication -- we jumped at the opportunity.

Jerry Lewis, circa the 1960s. (STF/AFP/Getty Images)Thomas Moriarty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

The resulting interview, conducted with reporter Lisa Rose, quickly went from difficult to downright mystifying (was he really calling from an intensive care unit, as he claimed?) to complete stonewalling. "It isn't going to be information that's going to be written in the Newark Star-Ledger," he said, in response to a question about what fans might expect from the concert.

So in celebration for a sometimes ornery, frequently brilliant man who lived life entirely on his own terms, we've reprinted the interview below. 

And, proof that Lewis wasn't all piss and vinegar -- he did offer to buy the reporter he so relentlessly frustrated a drink! 

The nutty interview: We try to get answers from Jerry Lewis

By Lisa Rose | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

May 28, 2008

Jerry Lewis is on the phone, speaking in that familiar steam-whistle whine, sounding nothing like an 82-year-old man who's been plagued with health problems for the past two decades. 

Time hasn't lowered his voice, nor has it diminished his contempt for the schmoozy side of show biz, the part of the job that involves feigning interest in questions from reporters. The Newark native doesn't suffer journalists gladly, even when he's got a show to promote. 

Lewis is taking calls only because he's making his first concert appearance in seven years, performing at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, Calif., on Saturday. (Look for a review in Tuesday's Star-Ledger.) 

He has two more dates on deck at casinos in Missouri and Arizona, according to the industry website Pollstar.com, but he doesn't want to talk about those. 

He doesn't want to talk about the long-delayed Broadway adaptation of "The Nutty Professor" either. Or the round of comeback gigs that were canceled two years ago after he had a heart attack. 

And he doesn't want to talk about his pioneering films, his books, his telethon, his partnership with Dean Martin or his memories of growing up in the Garden State. 

On one side of the conversation is a reporter who has grand ambitions for an interview with a legend. On the other side is a celebrity fulfilling an obligation. 

Entertainer Jerry Lewis becomes emotional during a tribute to the late Ed McMahon at the 44th annual Labor Day Telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association at the South Point Hotel & Casino September 6, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Thomas Moriarty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Q. How are you doing? 

A. I'm doing good. How are you? 

Q. I'm well. You sound great. 

A. I feel good. 

Q. I'm actually going to be coming out to see the show. I'm looking forward to (it). 

A. So am I. 

Q. What can people expect? Is it going to be a mix? Is it going to be something like the way you entertain on the telethon?

A. No. That's very private. This is everything I've done in a career that spans 72 years. 

Q. So it will be music and comedy and ... 

A. Comedy? Are you serious? It will be everything I know how to do. You won't be bored. 

Q. That's the last thing I would expect. I'm definitely curious to see the mix. 

A. Me, too. I can't wait to see what I do. 

Q. Was there something about this venue in particular that made you decide this would be a good place to start this series of live performances?

A. Yeah. They've got the money. 

Q. Have you been there? 

A. No, I have not. 

Q. So this will be a new experience for both of us. 

A. I hear it's beautiful. 

Q. You have a couple of other shows in the next few months ... 

A. Yeah, but we're not talking about them. I'm interested in you talking about next Saturday, May 31. 

Q. Uh, okay. I have a huge list of questions for you and there is so much to cover. Can you say anything about "The Nutty Professor" on Broadway?

A. I won't talk about that now. 

Q. So don't mention it at all? 

A. If you want to discuss that, we'll have another interview. This is about Saturday, May 31. 

Q: Okay, so how have you been preparing (for the Fantasy Springs appearance) and when did you start preparing?

A: I think I started in 2002. 

Q: What did you have in mind as far as the concept for the show?

A: Just what the people expect. 

Q: Did you talk to people for feedback, did you collaborate? 

A: No. You don't talk to people for feedback. I've been performing for 78 years, kid. 

Q: I was just wondering if this might be something where we might see some guests come out. 

A: No, no, no. 

Q: One hundred percent solo. 

A: That's right. 

Q: You sound like you have a tremendous amount of energy. Are you following a certain health regimen?

A: I'm in ICU right now. 

Q: Well, it sounds like a happy place. 

A: When I'm working, I stay in ICU in any hospital that will get me a bed. 

Q: How is transportation going to be arranged from ICU to the stage? 

A: We got it worked out perfectly. We bring the audience to the hospital. 

Q: In a shuttle bus? 

A: It's really like a campfire. 

Q: It sounds very intimate. 

A: Yes, it is. It's really a lot of fun. 

Q: A couple of years ago you had some shows scheduled, so is this going to be basically what you had planned, or has it evolved?

A: It has evolved. 

Q: Can we expect some topical humor, or is it going to focus on stories about your experiences in show biz?

A: Maybe I should have called you before I prepared anything. 

Q: I'm just saying, as far as comedy, it's a really interesting time for people who are in the comedy arena just because of the state of things, the uncertainty that's happening. It seems to me that audiences are gravitating towards comedy because they need it. 
A: They can look in the mirror and they'll get all the comedy they want. 

Q: I guess I'm wondering if you're going to be sharing your thoughts about the election, there's so much history being made.

A: No. You can get that from politicians. You didn't call me to get that. 

Q: So the show is going to be escapism? 

A: That's what comedy is about. Come in and have some fun. They pay a lot of money for that, so they must know something. 

Q: Are you going to invest the money you're getting paid in a new project? 

A: It's going to my bank! 

Q: I looked on IMDB.com and I thought I saw something about "The Nutty Professor 3." Is that not accurate?

A: Where do get your information? Don't tell me you sit on a computer all day. 

Q: I really was hoping to get some sense of where all this comic genius comes from, even though it's a brief interview.

A: Did you really think we were going to talk about all of that in 10 minutes? 

Q: I hoped we would talk about some of it. I hoped that later, at some point, we could talk more in depth to preview the telethon.

A: No, no, no. We made a commitment to talk to you today, this date, for these 10 minutes, and if you would just write where we're going to appear Saturday, May 31, then I will have handled what was my responsibility. 

Q: Okay, well, is there anything you feel I haven't covered as far as the show, what to expect? 

A: I never tell an audience what they can expect. I never have and I never will. I'm an entertainer for 75 years. Don't you think I picked up some information? 

Q: I certainly do. 

A: It isn't going to be information that's going to be written in the Newark Star-Ledger. I will see you Saturday, May 31, and if you make yourself known, I will buy you a drink before the show. 

Q: Fair enough. 

A: Have a nice trip and I look forward to seeing you.

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The solar eclipse today -- Monday, August. 21, 2017 (8/21/2017) -- will mean different things in different parts of the country. This map shows the eclipse's projected path and a searchable cloud cover forecast. Use this map to check cloud cover along the path of the solar eclipse. Watch video

How to use this 2017 solar eclipse map and forecast: Click on any location included in the map for more information when it's time to view the solar eclipse of 2017. Our eclipse viewing map was last updated Monday morning and you can use it today when it's time to view the eclipse.

The Great American Eclipse -- or 2017 solar eclipse, if you prefer -- has clear viewing winners and losers now that we have a forecast for Monday. 

Data from the National Weather Service shows that the pacific northwest, the northeast (including New Jersey) and parts of Appalachia will likely be the prime spots to watch the complete solar eclipse on Monday, with mainly sunny skies expected to prevail. 

Things get iffy across the Great Plains and southeast, where significant cloud cover could provide an extra -- and unwanted -- layer of obstruction to the celestial show.  

Using tens of thousands of data points from the National Weather Service, NJ Advance Media compiled an interactive map (above) that shows what percent of the sky is expected to be obscured by clouds on the afternoon of Aug. 21.

The eclipse will be visible across the United States from about 10:15 a.m. to about 4 p.m., depending on your location. In New Jersey, the eclipse will begin at 1:22 p.m., reach is maximum obscuration (about 75 percent of the sun will be covered) at 2:45 p.m. and come to an end around 4 p.m.

Whether you're traveling for the eclipse or just staying home, use the map above to see how the forecast for the big day evolves.

23 great spots to watch the solar eclipse in N.J.: A statewide guide

Just some of the thousands of pets in need of adoption in New Jersey.

There's summer heat, and then there's oppressive summer heat.

While we do everything we can to keep ourselves cool, it's important to remember our pets as well.

"If it's hot to you it's just as hot for your dog or cat, and probably even worse," said John Gickling, a board certified veterinarian in emergency and critical care. "We're better equipped to handle the heat because we perspire."

Some tips on making sure your pets can deal with excessive heat:

* If you walk your dog, pick the coolest time of the day, follow a shady route and bring water for your pet.

* Older pets, overweight animals and dogs with short snouts suffer more in high heat.

* If your pet is outdoors, make sure it has a cool place to lay and that water is always available. Avoid taking your pets anywhere that has concrete or blacktop until temperatures normalize.

* Dogs may be overheating if they can't get up, aren't alert or can't stop panting. If you suspect overheating, hose your dog off but never use ice water, which worsens the situation. If this doesn't work, a visit to a veterinarian is important.

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

Nearly 50,000 people donated to the state university over the last year.

Today is the day, New Jersey. On Monday, August 21, 2017 (8/21/17) the solar eclipse will mean different things, depending where in the country you're watching. In New Jersey, we'll get about 75 percent of the show. Here's more on how to watch, when the eclipse will happen, what to do if you don't have glasses, and the best places to see the solar show.

The man was wanted by Dominican authorities on murder charges.

NEWARK -- A Dominican Republic man wanted on charges he shot someone to death at a restaurant in his home country was been deported from the U.S. last week, authorities said.

Kelbin Alberto Perez De Los Santos, 36, was arrested in Hackensack in February, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

He came to the United States in July 2016 shortly after he killed another person with a shotgun in a dispute at a restaurant in Los Girasoles, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

He lawfully entered the U.S. before the Interpol National Central Bureau in Santo Domingo issued a notice in August 2016 seeking his arrest.

Last month, an immigration judge ordered that Perez be removed from the U.S. and sent back to the Dominican Republic. He was turned over to Dominican authorities on Thursday.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

What were the biggest stories of this summer?