The snow forecast for Christmas 2017 is still uncertain. But here's a look at what the weather was like during the past 10 Christmas Days in New Jersey.

Over the past week, weather fanatics across New Jersey have had high hopes that they will wake up Christmas morning to a light blanket of snow on the ground.

With weather guidance models flip-flopping each day, it's still uncertain whether snow will fall on the Garden State on Christmas Day. Some models are projecting light snow in the early-morning hours on Dec. 25, and others are projecting rain.

If the rainy forecast holds up, this will be the eighth straight year that most of New Jersey has not had a white Christmas.

UPDATE (10 a.m. Friday): Computer guidance models are starting to be more consistent, so the odds of getting a white Christmas this year have gotten better -- at least for the northern half of New Jersey. The National Weather Service is now predicting 2 to 3 inches of snow could fall in northwestern sections of New Jersey from late Christmas Eve through early Christmas morning, and 1 to 2 inches of snow could fall in north-central counties like Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex and western Monmouth. Even New York City could get 1 inch of snow on Christmas morning, although rain could mix with the snow.

Here's the latest snow forecast for New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, as of Friday morning, Dec. 22. (National Weather Service)  

So, when was the last white Christmas, you ask? 

The last Christmas with 1 inch or more of snow on the ground across most of the state -- either freshly fallen snow or lingering snow from an earlier storm -- was back in 2009, according to climate records from the National Weather Service and New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson, whose office is based at Rutgers University.

The driving force in 2009 was a big storm that dumped nearly 2 feet of snow in southern New Jersey and 10 inches or more in central and northern New Jersey five days before Christmas. When Dec. 25 arrived that year, the ground was still covered with anywhere from 3 inches to 14 inches of snow.

Worth noting

Since New Jersey is packed with 565 towns and has different climate conditions in each region because of the varying terrain, ocean influences and atmospheric flow patterns, people in a few locations experienced a white Christmas more recently than 2009.

On Christmas Day in 2012, a handful of towns in northern and western New Jersey had 1 to 2 inches of snow on the ground, and on Christmas Day in 2013 two climate stations in northwestern New Jersey reported 1 inch of snow, but there was no widespread snow across the state. 

Whether those two years can be classified as "white Christmases" for New Jersey is up for debate, but residents in some towns did have conditions that met the National Weather Service's definition of a white Christmas. (One inch or more of snow on the ground on Dec. 25.)

Historical probability of a White Christmas. [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/ebXgyia4gJ

-- Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) December 11, 2017

Close calls

During the past 10 years, the Garden State has had several close calls with storms that almost arrived in time for Christmas Day but ended up hitting too early, too late, or when temperatures were too warm to produce snow.

Here's a look at the weather conditions that were reported on each Dec. 25 from 2016 back to 2007 at New Jersey's two major climate sites monitored by the National Weather Service: Newark Liberty International Airport and Atlantic City International Airport.

What you will find is something that's not a surprise to climatologists: A white Christmas is a rare event in New Jersey. 

A white Christmas in the Newark region is a rare event. Pictured is a big snowstorm that hit New Jersey's largest city in late December 2000, after Christmas. (Aris Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media) 

NEWARK CHRISTMAS STATS

Dec. 25, 2016: No snow

Note: 3.0 inches of snow fell on Dec. 17, but temperatures were in the 40s, 50s and low 60s heading up to Christmas Day. So there was no snow on the ground on Dec. 25. 

Dec. 25, 2015: No snow

Note: New Jersey had record-breaking warm temperatures that December, with Newark averaging 13 degrees above normal. Newark got only 0.3 inches of snow the entire month, and it fell on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29. It was 71 degrees on Christmas Eve and 63 on Christmas Day that year.

Dec. 25, 2014: No snow

Note: Newark got a trace of snow on Dec. 20 and a trace on Dec. 21, but no snow on Dec. 25.

Dec. 25, 2013: No snow, but a close call! 

Note: Newark had four small snow accumulations in the first three weeks of December 2013, a trace of snow on Christmas Eve and a trace of snow on Dec. 26, but nothing on the ground on Christmas Day. 

Dec. 25, 2012: No snow, but a close call! 

Note: Newark had a trace of snow on Dec. 22, a trace of snow on Christmas Eve and 0.4 inches of snow on Dec. 26, but no snow on Christmas Day - just 0.02 inches of rain.

Dec. 25, 2011: No snow

Note: Newark had no snow in all of December 2011, with temperatures averaging 6 degrees above normal throughout the month.

Dec. 25, 2010: No snow, but a close call!

Note: Newark had a big snowstorm on Dec. 26 into Dec. 27, with 17.7 inches of snow on Dec. 26 and 6.5 inches of snow on Dec. 27.  

Dec. 25, 2009: No fresh snow fell that day, but there were 4 inches of snow on the ground in Newark. So technically, it was a white Christmas! 

Note: Records show the snow that was on the ground on Dec. 25 came from a massive snowstorm that hit the region on Dec. 19 into Dec. 20.

Dec. 25, 2008: No snow, but a close call! 

Note: Records show Newark had 2 inches of snow on the ground on Christmas Eve, from three small snowfalls earlier in the month - Dec. 19, Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 - but no snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 2008.

Dec. 25, 2007: No snow 

Note: Newark had a trace of snow on Dec. 26.

Atlantic City has had only one white Christmas in the past 10 years, but several close calls. (Lori Nichols | NJ Advance Media) 

ATLANTIC CITY CHRISTMAS STATS

Dec. 25, 2016: No snow

Note: Only a trace of snow fell in Atlantic City the entire month - a bit on Dec. 15 and a bit on Dec. 17.

Dec. 25, 2015: No snow

Note: Atlantic City received no snow at all in December 2015, an abnormally warm month where the temperature averaged more than 13 degrees above normal.

Dec. 25, 2014: No snow

Note: Only a trace of snow fell on Dec. 8 and 0.4 inches fell on Dec. 11. Atlantic City had no more snow the entire month.

Dec. 25, 2013: No snow, but a close call! 

Note: Atlantic City had three minor snow accumulations in the first three weeks of December 2013 - a trace, 2.1 inches and 1.0 inches, but nothing on the ground on Christmas Day. The city had a bit of rain on Dec. 23 and again on Dec. 24, so the moisture was in place but temperatures were too warm to support snow.

Dec. 25, 2012: No snow, but a close call!

Note: Atlantic City had only a trace of snow the entire month - on Dec. 22 and almost a quarter-inch of rain on Dec. 24 and 2.6 inches of rain on Dec. 26. If the temperatures had been colder, the city could have had a white Christmas.

Dec. 25, 2011: No snow

Note: Atlantic City had only a trace of snow in all of December 2011, with temperatures averaging about 6 degrees above normal throughout the month. The only snow was a trace, on Dec. 17.

Dec. 25, 2010: 0.1 inches of snow - very close call!!

Note: Some people would consider 0.1 inches of snow a white Christmas, but it falls short of the weather service's standard of 1.0 inches or more. Also worth noting: Atlantic City had a big snowstorm on Dec. 26 into Dec. 27, with 18.4 inches of snow on Dec. 26 and 1.6 inches of snow and freezing rain as the storm winded down on Dec. 27. 

Dec. 25, 2009: No fresh snow fell that day, but there were 5 inches of snow on the ground. So technically, it was a white Christmas in A.C.! 

Note: Records show the snow that was on the ground on Christmas came from a massive snowstorm that hit the region on Dec. 19 into Dec. 20. The city got 11.4 inches on the 19th and 0.7 inches on the 20th. Bad news for snow lovers: Heavy rain and mist washed all the remaining snow away the day after Christmas.

Dec. 25, 2008: No snow

Note: Records show Christmas Day was warm that year, with a high of 63 degrees and light rain. Atlantic City had only 0.3 inches of snow the entire month of December, and that was on Dec. 6. A trace of snow fell on Dec. 31. 

Dec. 25, 2007: No snow, but a close call!

Note: Atlantic City had almost a third of an inch of rain on Dec. 26, so it was a close call in terms of moisture and timing.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

WEST ORANGE -- Mama is a 1-year-old cat in the care of West Orange Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release. Rescued as a stray, volunteers describe her as "a very friendly cat" who is good with other felines. Mama, who should make a good pet in most any home, has been spayed, is FIV/FeLV negative and up-to-date on shots. For more information...

Mama 

WEST ORANGE -- Mama is a 1-year-old cat in the care of West Orange Trap Neuter Vaccinate Release.

Rescued as a stray, volunteers describe her as "a very friendly cat" who is good with other felines.

Mama, who should make a good pet in most any home, has been spayed, is FIV/FeLV negative and up-to-date on shots.

For more information on Mama and other adoptable felines, email wotnvr@gmail.com or go to wotnvr.petfinder.com. Since its founding in 2015, the nonprofit group has found homes for more than 150 felines.

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.

Hot takes from the first week of action.

BELLEVILLE -- Todd Connolly, who sits on Santa's lap during the PBA annual Santa Foto Trailer Day in Belleville in 1978, seems less than enthusiastic. MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey If you would like to share a photo that provides a glimpse of history in your community, please call 973-836-4922 or send an email to essex@starledger.com. And, check out...

BELLEVILLE -- Todd Connolly, who sits on Santa's lap during the PBA annual Santa Foto Trailer Day in Belleville in 1978, seems less than enthusiastic.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

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

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

See what was sizzling throughout N.J. girls basketball in the first week of the season.

The woman said she and others were sexually harassed throughout the 45-minute flight to Buffalo, New York.

Almost as soon as a man got on a United Airlines flight departing Newark on Tuesday night, he grabbed the thigh of the woman next to him, she says. 

He did it again after she swatted his hand away and once more after she asked him to stop touching her, the woman said in a full account of the incident after her initial complaint to the airline on social media gained attention. 

"The third time, I quickly got out of my seat, went to the back of the plane and told the flight attendant what happened," said the woman, Katie Campos.

11 ways United Airlines continued to make news in ways it probably regrets

Campos, who was on a 45-minute United flight to Buffalo, New York, shared the story on Twitter and said she was disappointed in how the airline had handled the incident. She said the man was "visibly, highly intoxicated" and questioned why he had been allowed on the plane in the first place.

A flight attendant moved her seat to the row behind and across the aisle from the man, she said, but he continued to touch her and other female passengers throughout the flight. 

Was sexually harassed on @united flight late last night to BUF. 1 attendant was helpful, and man arrested at gate. Shocked by lack of coordinated response by united to ensure passenger safety. Man kept touching me and others until very end. #dobetter #unitedAIRLINES

-- Katie Campos (@KatieCampos9) December 20, 2017

United said in a statement that it had "zero tolerance" for sexual harassment. 

"Our pilot requested that local law enforcement meet the aircraft on arrival in Buffalo, after which authorities removed the customer from the flight," the company said. "We are conducting our own internal review and will support any investigation by local authorities." 

The complaint comes as people across the country come forward to allege sexual assault, empowered by the #metoo movement that encourages speaking out. 

Sexual harassment on flights is frequently unreported, according to The Seattle Times. A 2016 survey by the Association of Flight Attendants found that one in every five flight attendants had dealt with claims of sexual assault from passengers, the Times reported.

Campos said she overheard the man asking to kiss the woman in the window seat of her row and touching her face while she told him to stop. The flight attendant moved that woman to a seat directly behind the man, Campos said. 

The man then repeatedly touched Campos' fiance across the aisle, and she told him not to touch her, according to Campos' account. He continued to turn around in his seat and stare at Campos and the other woman who had been in their aisle, Campos said. 

Campos said she pushed the call button while the plane was landing, but the flight attendant said on the loudspeaker she could not help during landing. 

"It continued to escalate, and the only reason it ended is that the flight was ending," she wrote. 

The flight attendant later told the three women they should press charges against the man, Campos said.

A United spokesman declined to comment on the claim that the man was drunk when he boarded the flight. 

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 52-year-old man said the woman's strangling death was the end of an argument

Newark resident Dorian Gillon has admitted to strangling a woman to death in Plainfield in 2005, the Union County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

Police found the body of 39-year-old Willametta Moore inside the front door of her home on the 700 block of West Third Street in December that year.

Dorian Gillon (Courtesy of Union County Prosecutor's Office)

Moore apparently fought with the attacker, who left her body at the bottom of the stairs in her home where she was found days later.

Investigators pursued leads until they caught a break in 2013, when Gillon was identified through DNA testing.

A grand jury indicted Gillon on murder charges in 2014.

Gillon, now 52, pleaded guilty to a single count of aggravated manslaughter.

His sentencing is scheduled for February, when prosecutors said they will recommend 18 years in state prison. 

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

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An officer leaving a positive impression on a child can help build the trust and allegiance of a community, police say

In an effort to spread holiday cheer and burnish their own image among city children, 150 Newark police officers fanned out around the city on Friday handing out thousands of toys.

"If we want to change the culture of 'us and them,' as far as we're all one community, it's important that the officers are seen in a positive light," said Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, who is in charge of the city's police and fire department, whose members also joined in the toy giveaway.

Ambrose said about 40,000 presents were given out on Friday, many donated by officers and firefighters themselves. The bulk of the toys were from the Toys for Tots program administered by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and stored at Picatinny Arsenal.  

It was the second year of the city's first responders' toy giveaway, with a huge increase from the 5,000 or so toys given out last year, Ambrose said.  

The police and firefighters gathered at a police facility on Orange Street, where officers loaded up the trunks of their cruisers with toys from among piles of puppets and plush toys, musical instruments, balls and board games, Star Wars figures, musical instruments and whatever else city toddlers and adolescents might crave.

Some lucking children got to pick from the pile at the Orange Street location, where  first dibs went to Nicholas Benjamin, a 6-year-old who was wounded in a shooting earlier this year.

Several officers, including one dressed as Santa, stopped at a ShopRite supermarket on Springfield Avenue, handing out gifts to surprised parents and charmed children as they left the store. Others made random stops.

It was as much fun for the officers as the children, said Capt. Derek Glenn, a Newark Police spokesman. Glenn said some officers, after careful consideration and in safe traffic situations, pulled over what was obviously a parent with a child int he car as if they were making a traffic stop, only to inform the driver that they were going to have issue their child a Christmas gift.

At least one officer had his picture taken with a grateful group of kids he had spotted on the sidewalk before pulling over to hand out gifts.

That's precisely the kind of response the effort is meant to illicit, and even just one encounter makes the initiative worthwhile if it sets a child on a path of trusting the police as their friend and ally, not an enemy to be avoided or defied.

"All we want is for one to look at us with a positive first impression," he said.

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

The suspect is a carpenter who was doing work at the airport

A Toms River man has been charged with theft after he allegedly stole a wallet containing $1,000 as it was being screened by security at Terminal C of Newark Liberty International Airport, Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo said Friday.

Steven Testa (Port Authority police)  

The victim notified police of the theft around 7 a.m. The wallet was taken as it sat in a bin used for screening items, the victim said.

Port Authority police obtained a description of the man and determined he was a carpenter doing work at the airport and had a gate pass, which allowed him to move freely around the facility, police said. Police also learned he was working on the renovation of  a Starbucks in a terminal corridor, Pentangelo said.

The suspect, Steven Testa, 38, was arrested and found with $850 of the victim's cash stashed in Testa's boot, police said. The rest was in Testa's pocket, police said.

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

Lange, who returns for the second season of the HBO series 'Crashing' in January, has been arrested three times this year and has sought treatment in rehab Watch video

Addiction and relapse are not new themes for Artie Lange or anyone who has followed his career over the last 25 years. Realities of his life, a recurring cycle of drug use, rehab and relapse are also punchlines in his act. 

Yet this year alone, Lange, 50, has been arrested three times, twice for drug possession and once for missing a court date (which was the second time he missed one this year).

Friends and fans of the Jersey comedian have taken notice. After he posted a photo of himself this month in which his nose appeared badly swollen, concerned parties called police, who showed up at Lange's Hoboken doorstep. 

Artie Lange poses for his mugshot in Newark after being arrested on Dec. 12 for failing to appear in court following a May arrest. Essex County Sheriff | Getty Images 

The comedian, a Livingston native who hails from Union Township and is perhaps best known for his eight-year stint on "The Howard Stern Show," had already grabbed headlines in March, when he was arrested at his Hoboken parking garage for possession of heroin, cocaine and drug paraphernalia after police said they found the substances in his car. 

All of this sits atop Lange's turbulent past, which includes battles with drug addiction and depression, many relapses and two suicide attempts -- one in 1995, when he was a cast member on the Fox sketch series "Mad TV," and another in 2010, after he parted ways with Stern. 

"I wish I could tell u how my story ends," Lange tweeted after his March arrest.

"I swear this life is so crazy," he tweeted. "I wish that scared me. Pls don't be me younger ppl. I care for u deeply!"

Lange had just made his debut in the first season of the HBO series "Crashing," playing a recurring character on the series, which is fronted by comedian Pete Holmes and returns with Lange in tow on Jan. 14. Lange's addiction lore heavily informs his character -- Artie Lange.

For instance, Lange trotted out a sentiment for the show that fans would recognize from his act: 

"I'm the only guy who got fat on cocaine." 

Lange revisited the riff at a comedy show just a week after his arrest at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, where he touched upon his risky lifestyle. 

"I'm in every f***ing death pool," he said. "Every time I f***ing have a birthday, so much money changes hands on the internet."

The same "will he make it?" aesthetic covers Lange's next memoir, "Wanna Bet? A Degenerate Gambler's Guide to Living on the Edge," due out in July, a follow-up to his 2008 memoir "Too Fat to Fish" and his 2013 book "Crash and Burn." 

On Monday, Lange addressed the swollen-nose photo and his recent arrest by calling into "The Artie and Anthony Show," Lange's subscription streaming radio show with Anthony Cumia, formerly of "Opie and Anthony." 

"I annoyed somebody so I got punched in the face," Lange told Cumia, who said the comedian was in treatment. 

"It kind of blew up on me and Twitter can be a little outreaching," Lange said of the response to the photo.

After Lange tweeted the photo, Hoboken police showed up at the door of his home. Days later, police arrested Lange after he failed to show up for court to answer charges from a May arrest. ("I was not aware that I had to, but that's not an excuse," he told Cumia). 

"They came in, I gave them macaroni. They put handcuffs on me and took all my garlic knots," he mused. 

"I was in jail for a while and they treated me great," he said of a brief stay in Essex County Jail. 

Lange, at left, with Pete Holmes, star of 'Crashing,' and executive producer Judd Apatow in February 2017. Though Lange worried that he had been fired from the show after his arrest, Apatow stood by the comedian.
 

As with the March arrest, Lange's May arrest in Bloomfield allegedly involved drug possession. State Police said they found the comedian with a bag of heroin on his lap after he was stopped for driving eratically near a McDonald's on the Garden State Parkway. Lange pleaded guilty to possession of 81 decks of heroin and police dropped earlier cocaine possesssion charges. He is expected to be sentenced in February. 

Lange also attributes his falling out with Howard Stern to drug addiction. 

"It was nothing but my fault," Lange told NJ Advance Media before his March arrest. "Howard tried to help me." 

Lange was arrested in Hoboken in March shortly after learning he would be getting a more substantial role in "Crashing," he said, calling the move "self-destructive." He went on to claim he had been axed from the show (and the forthcoming second season) altogether because of his arrest and drug problem. 

Executive producer Judd Apatow disputed Lange's claim.

"We would never give up on Artie or anyone struggling with addiction," Apatow tweeted. 

But drugs aren't the only problems Lange faces; in October, Lange, who has diabetes, had to skip a show in Akron, Ohio after a doctor advised him against traveling with high blood sugar. In a video, he addressed fans, saying he would call each person who bought a ticket to the show to see how he could make it up to them. At the same time, he thanked fans for helping him make it to his 50th birthday, and recognized that given his history, many would assume he had just been using heroin. 

"I could tell you that my whole family died and I had to go to the wake. You're gonna say, 'No, Art, you were on heroin,'" he said. 

On Twitter and even on his own radio show, many have speculated about what the future could hold for Lange. 

Rich Vos, a fellow Jersey comedian who grew up in Plainfield, served as a guest host on "Artie and Anthony" in Lange's absence. He said he thinks this time in rehab might be the charm for Lange. "I think he's gonna get clean," he said. (Vos once fought his own battles with addiction.) But he offered another possiblity, too:

"Listen, maybe Artie just hasn't hit his bottom." 

"Maybe," Cumia replied. " ... That's a helluva bottom." 

Artie Lange is scheduled to play Starland Ballroom in Sayreville at 8 p.m. on Jan. 13.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

The man tried to rob an electronics store using a pen as a weapon in Newark Airport.

One man was taken into custody Friday morning when he tried to rob an electronics store in Newark Airport, authorities said. 

Ernesto Rodriguez-Zazueta, 46, who authorities said was a fugitive from the Drug Enforcement Agency, was arrested by Port Authority Police inside the airport.

Ernesto Rodriguez-Zazueta Port Authority Police 

Rodriguez-Zazueta allegedly entered a Blue Wire Electronics store in Terminal C of Newark Airport Friday around 7 a.m., authorities said. He went behind the counter, and used a pen to mimic a weapon while demanding cash from a shop worker, they said. 

The worker struggled with Rodriguez-Zazueta, but was able to call Port Authority Police. 

Officers apprehended and arrested Rodriguez-Zazueta. One officer sustained minor injuries while in a struggle with Rodriguez-Zazueta, but was quickly treated, authorities said. 

During processing, police said Rodriguez-Zazueta gave several false names before officers discovered his true identity. 

Records show that Rodriguez-Zazueta was the subject of a federal arrest warrant for illegal drug sales, and was listed on the DEA's most wanted list. The report was filed by St. Louis DEA officials, but Rodriguez-Zazueta's last listed address was in Norfolk, Nebraska.

Rodriguez-Zazueta was charged with robbery, resisting arrest and for hindering apprehension. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating Sunday a fatal shooting in Newark, authorities said.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating Sunday a fatal shooting in Newark, authorities said.

A man was pronounced dead on the scene after a shooting near 15th Street, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly said.

No additional information was immediately available and the incident is under investigation.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

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Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption, during the holidays and all year 'round.

I'm no different than you; the advertisements from the ASPCA get to me no matter how many times I see them. And they help: the famous spot featuring Sarah McLachlan singing "Angel" has raised roughly $30 million for the organization in the last 10 years; it's referred to with reverence in marketing circles as "The Ad."

But you're maybe also like me in that your budget isn't large enough to allow for regular donations. If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one or make cash contributions, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

George Heinrich has a holiday tradition he keeps every Christmas. The college dean calls aspiring doctors to let them know they have been accepted to medical school.

Sometime on Christmas Day, after all the presents under the tree have been opened, a small group of people will get one last unexpected gift from Dr. George F. Heinrich that will change their lives.

It's nothing that's been wrapped. There will be no ribbons or bows. And none of them know yet that this will be a holiday they never forget.

Heinrich will be calling to tell them they have been accepted to medical school.

Each year, Heinrich, the associate dean for admissions for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, takes it upon himself to call every future doctor accepted into the school and gives them the news himself.

This school year, he expects to make more than 300 of those calls before the class of 2022 is finally set.

And in an ongoing tradition for him, at least six will be called on this Christmas Day.

"When I applied to medical school, I lived at the mailbox. A thick envelope was good news, and a thin envelope was bad news," he recalled. "I want to talk personally to every student."

Heinrich in the admissions office at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

He may be one of the few college deans who does that. Students at New Jersey Medical School, both past and present, had no recollection of getting calls from a dean at any other school where they were accepted.

Admissions decisions at the Rutgers school are made on a rolling basis each week. Heinrich said he does not like to hold off letting candidates know they have been accepted. He will make calls even if he is away, once a selection is finalized.

Over the years, Heinrich estimates he may have made 100,000 calls telling M.D. hopefuls that they were in-- on holidays, on weekends, on any day of the week. And always on Christmas Day.

He has connected with prospective students when he was in London and Tokyo. He has tracked down one traveling in India.

"I'll reach them anywhere in the world," he laughed, during an interview in his sparse office on campus.

But he said he especially likes to make calls on holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, when most are likely to be together with family and close friends.

"Medical school is a family activity. Students need support," Heinrich said.

The reactions run the gamut. Some scream. Some cry. Some don't believe it is actually the dean calling, and are only convinced after he makes reference to personal information in their applications.

"It gets very emotional. There are clearly moments where we're changing people's lives," said Heinrich, a silver-haired, soft-spoken man who has served as dean of admissions for 25 years. He reached one student recently who was at the airport when he reached him on his cell phone.

"I'm so glad you called," the student told him.

Heinrich said he understood.

"No, you don't understand," the student said. "I'm boarding a plane for a flight to another medical school interview."

He never got on his flight.

Calls of Christmas past

Whitney Smith received her call from Heinrich on Christmas Day in 2007. Now an M.D. in her final year of a residency in urology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Smith remembered being at her mother's house in Deptford in South Jersey when the admissions dean connected with her.

"Everyone was opening presents. It was about 11 a.m. and I wasn't thinking about getting accepted to medical school," she said.

When her cell phone rang, she thought at first it was a telemarketer. Even when Heinrich got on the phone, it did not click at first who she was talking to.

"I was calm and cool on the phone. I was more in shock," said Smith. "My mom cried."

Christmas Day of 2006 was when Rana Mady, now an ophthalmologist in private practice in Clifton, received her phone call.

"You are generally waiting for a letter. That was my expectation," said Mady, recalling a joyful moment in her parents' home in Hillsdale. "It's not your average way of getting into medical school."

Her mother and father shared in the emotion of the call.

"They were ecstatic. They were so happy for me," she said. "They had seen how much had gone into the whole process. The community service work you do. The application and interviews. They were happy. And relieved."

It was four days after her birthday.

Mady said Heinrich is well aware how much the individual acceptance calls mean for students and their families.

"He knows it's going to have a huge impact on a person's life," she said.

From left, Whitney Smith, who was accepted on Christmas Day in in 2007, Adam Handler, who got his call from Heinrich on Christmas in 2006, and Rana Mady, who was also accepted to medical school on Christmas Day in 2006. (Photos courtesy of Whitney Smith, Adam Handler and Rana Mady)

Mady was also not the only one in her family to get a call from Heinrich. Her twin sister, Leila, was also accepted into New Jersey Medical School the very same year. She got the news with a separate call from Heinrich on another day.

Adam Handler, who is Jewish, does not celebrate Christmas. So he was on the job in the emergency room of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, where he then was working as a clinical information manager when Heinrich reached him on his cell phone on Christmas Day in 2006 to tell him he would become a doctor.

"There's a few things in life where you know where you were at when something happens. I remember the exact location where I answered the phone in the corridor in the ER," said Handler, who is now a pediatrician. "It was in the middle of my shift."

Two minutes later, Handler called his father, who is also a pediatrician and a graduate of New Jersey Medical School.

The emergency room staff that night celebrated his news by calling out for Chinese food--the only place open on Christmas. Given his financial situation at the time, Handler, who is now in practice with his father in Parsippany, is pretty sure it was the attending physician in the ER who picked up the check.

A hard road to get in

It's no easy task to get into medical school. It is a highly competitive process, with only a fraction of those who want to be doctors realizing their dreams.

"You can't wake up one morning and say you're going to go to medical school," said Heinrich. "You have to be a very committed person."

Last year nationwide, more than 50,000 prospective students applied to U.S. medical school, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Only about four in 10 got in.

At Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, there were 5,075 applications for the Class of 2022. Only about 700 will be invited for interviews. Not all who get a call of acceptance from Heinrich take the offer. Ultimately, 178 are expected to enroll.

Passion, said Heinrich, is one of the things Rutgers New Jersey Medical School seeks.

"We look for people committed to our community who understand we're not treating disease. We're taking care of people," he said.

The six people who will get a call from Heinrich this Christmas still have no clue they will hear from him. If they do not answer their phone, he will leave a message and a number to call him back. Each will hear about their admission from him directly.

"The most frustrating thing is to hear your mailbox is full," he said. "But I'm determined."

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A police motorcade in Newark was out delivering gifts to children they saw on the street and in various hospitals on Christmas morning

If you heard sirens going off around Newark along with a 10-car motorcade Christmas morning, chances are it was for a good reason. 

Santa Claus was coming to town.

Dozens of volunteers from various organizations teamed up with the Newark Police Department of Public Safety Community Outreach Unit, handing out more than 2,000 toys to children in hospitals, as well as across the city. 

"I'm just paying it forward. This is just what I do," said volunteer Maria Ortiz. "On a personal level, I was in a woman's shelter not too long so I know how it feels to be down and out over the holidays."

The group visited Clara Mass Hospital, University Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital. Between hospital visits, the group also stopped to give out toys to children and their parents on the street.

This is the eighth year the department has conducted the toy drive, which only takes about 20 days to collect all the toys to give out according to Det. Joseph A. Bernal of the community outreach unit.

"It's all about bringing a smile to those in need," he said. "What better day than today?"

Just as Katie Hernandez and her son Benjamin were being discharged from the emergency room, they were surprised by the volunteers. Hernandez had spent the night in the emergency room after her son had an accident playing outside last night. 

"I like it. To see all the characters it's exciting," Hernandez said. "For us coming to the emergency room, being in the hospital it can be scary so it kind of puts us at ease."

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

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He was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound, authorities said.

Authorities have identified a man discovered dead in an apartment building in Newark on Christmas Eve, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said Monday. 

Ronald L Spearman, 47, was found in an apartment building on South 15th street Sunday afternoon with injuries from a gunshot wound, the prosecutor's office said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

No motive for the shooting was given.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly said an investigation is being conducted by the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Homicide Task Force. He added that the investigation is active and ongoing at this time. 

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the prosecutor's tip line at  (877) 847-7432. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The state-appointed superintendent for Newark schools will step down in February, paving the way for the district to select its own leader for the first time since 1995.

The state-appointed superintendent for Newark schools will step down in February, paving the way for the district to select its own leader for the first time in 22 years. 

Superintendent Christopher Cerf announced last week he would resign on Feb. 1 -- the same day the state's takeover of Newark schools will officially end.

"Now is the time to focus on how we can all work together to ensure an orderly transition proceeds when we return from winter recess," Cerf wrote in an email to district employees on Thursday, hours after the School Advisory Board accepted his resignation. "To be clear, the most important action the board will take in the coming months is the search for and selection of a permanent superintendent."

The state Board of Education seized control of Newark's public schools in 1995 after a state probe accused district officials in a 1,798 page report of mismanagement, neglect and corruption. Since then, the state has appointed the district's superintendents, who have veto power over the local school board. 

After years of raucous battles between state-appointed school leaders and Newarkers who felt they had little say in the governing of their schools, the state in September approved returning local control of the district. Last week, the state approved a transition plan, that details a timeline and the search process for a new superintendent. 

"This plan puts the district in the best position to transition to full local control, while ensuring that it builds on the progress it has made over the years," Governor Chris Christie said in a statement after the plan was approved. The plan was assembled by district leaders, the school board, Mayor Ras Baraka's office and input from the public. 

Under the transition plan:

• On Feb. 1, the School Advisory Board will no longer be advisory and become a fully-functioning Newark Board of Education, giving it the power to hire and fire its own superintendent.
• Newark residents will vote on Nov. 6, 2018 on whether they want an elected school board or one appointed by the mayor.
• The transition plan will set milestones and guide the district through Jan. 31, 2020
• A new superintendent will be selected by May 31 headed by a search committee of three board members, three Newark leaders jointly selected by the mayor and education commissioner, and one member appointed by the commissioner.
• The new superintendent, who is in charge of the day-to-day management of 64 public schools, will begin July 1.

Cerf, a former state education commissioner, was appointed to the district in 2015. Under his tenure, student scores on the state standardized exam known as PARCC have risen, as have graduation rates. The district increased its retention rate of effective and highly effective teachers to 96 percent, submitted a balanced budget and sold closed school buildings to plug the deficit.

Once Cerf resigns, Deputy Superintendent Robert Gregory will take over as interim superintendent until a permanent replacement is found.

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

A jury has convicted two Newark men on 17 counts of drug-related charges for their roles in what prosecutors called a "substantial operation" to distribute narcotics in Newark.

A jury has convicted two Newark men on 17 counts of drug-related charges for their roles in what prosecutors called a "substantial operation" to distribute narcotics in the North Ward of the city. 

Adalberto Garcia, 27, and Ramon Vega, 58, were convicted on conspiracy, drug possession and drug distribution charges earlier this month after a five-day trial before Superior Court Judge Martin Cronin, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino said in a release. 

Vega and Garcia were arrested on Clifton Avenue in August of last year after an investigation by the Essex County Sheriff's Office. The men were charged with 30 counts, including intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and multiple counts of drug possession including ecstasy, oxycodone, tramadol, Xanax, cocaine and marijuana.

Both men, who have prior convictions, will be sentenced on Feb. 13 and could face 20 years to life in prison. 

"It is clear that the defendants were not only selling narcotics to drug users, but also sold to low level drug dealers. This was a substantial operation that distributed narcotics to the entire North Ward of Newark, New Jersey," Assistant Prosecutor Sean Dickson said. 

It was not immediately known who was representing both men in court. 

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

A Bellevile sandwich shop is getting flak for a video advertisement posted on its Facebook page that has Santa Claus handing out what appear to be bags of weed.

A Bellevile sandwich shop is getting flak for a video advertisement posted on its Facebook page that has Santa Claus handing out what appear to be bags of weed.

In the video, titled "Santa in the Hood," a Santa-suit clad man talks about delivering "trees," and then is shown handing out gift bags containing a green leafy substance. Santa then talks about lighting up trees with his homie Rudolph and lights a cigarette-type object on top of a Christmas tree that a person in a Rudolph mask smokes. 

"The only problem we get lighting up so many trees is the munchies," Santa says in the video. "If we don't eat, it's impossible for us to stay high in the sky delivering Christmas gifts."

The one-minute video, posted Dec. 22,  then shows menu items from Fat House.

It has garnered nearly 4,000 views, 29 shares and dozens of comments both opposing and supporting the marketing angle. 

"You DO NOT advertise your business promoting illegal drug use! It's just that simple!" said Joanne La Stella-Marinaccio. "There are many other ways to promote your business!"

Others found the video, which references living in "the hood" and features black customers, racist.

"Racial stereotypes REALLY ?!?!" said GeorgeAnn Polite-Hill "FAT CHANCE I will ever buy from FAT HOUSE again..."

This isn't the first time Fat House has targeted the marijuana smoking demographic. At least two other posts on the business's Facebook page and one other video depict pot smokers. Fat House also offers 10 percent off orders of $25 or more for customers who use the coupon code "Munchies," a term often associated with pot-smokers getting an appetite after lighting up.

Elven Espinar, the owner of Fat House, said he did not intend to offend people with the ad. 

"I was just marketing to my customer base," he said. 

Espinar said "marijuana isn't the issue in this town."

"I think the police have done an excellent job cracking down on the drug activity in this town," the life-long Belleville resident said. "I think people should focus on [the] more important issue, which is the crime rate in our town. And as a town we should support local businesses because owning and operating a business in Belleville isn't easy." 

Many of the shop's supporters on Facebook said they believe marijuana will soon be legal and they thought the video was funny.

"That is HILARIOUS!!" wrote DeeJay Gude  "I'm guessing the people offended by this weren't going to be your customers anyway, so rock on!"

Fat House models itself after food trucks near Rutgers University. The three-year-old business' menu mixes an entire fast food meal and puts it on a long roll. For example, its Fat Elven is a sandwich with chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fries and honey mustard. 

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Three New Jersey natives were named 2018 Rhodes Scholars. One, who graduated high school in Newark, says he'll come back one day.

A Newark native chosen as a Rhodes Scholar -- one of the most prestigious scholarships for young leaders across the world -- says he'll one day return to his city to finish the work he started. 

"The people I have met along my journey have been special and it's amazing to see the impact I can have on others," said Jordan Thomas, a senior at Princeton University and graduate of University High in Newark, who was named one of 32 Rhodes Scholars representing the U.S. for 2018. 

"I will be coming back to Newark -- I'm not finished yet," he added. 

Jordan Thomas was named a Rhodes Scholar. Newark Public Schools 

The scholarship, among the most recognized international academic awards, counts former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., among its ranks. The award pays for two or three years of graduate study at Oxford University in England; this year 97 will earn such scholarships around the world.

"We recognize a young man who has made history not only for Newark Public Schools, but also for the city of Newark," Chairman of the Newark School Advisory Board Marquis Aquil Lewis said.

Thomas will graduate from Princeton next year, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He is double minoring in Portuguese Language and Culture and African-American Studies. 

Thomas also served as a Fulbright Summer Institute Fellow at the University of Bristol and interned at the Office for Civil Rights' Program Legal Group at the U.S. Department of Education. He also previously served as a student representative on the local School Advisory Board.

At Oxford, Thomas will study social intervention and policy evaluation, the district said. He plans to host a discussion with students at his alma mater on Jan. 4. 

Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf said Thomas "represents the best of Newark Public Schools students and their passion to learn, explore and impact the world. We are proud of Jordan's accomplishments and look forward to an extraordinary future for him."

Other New Jersey natives named 2018 Rhodes Scholars include Christopher D'Urso, a Colts Neck resident who attends the University of Pennsylvania and Jasmine Brown, a Hillsborough resident who attends Washington University in St. Louis.

Jordan Thomas, of Newark, was named a Rhodes Scholar for 2018. (Courtesy: The Rhodes Trust)
 

Rhodes Scholars have been named since 1903. In 1977, another scholar, Frederick T. Smith, also hailed from Newark, according to The New York Times. A representative from the scholarship program said it does not keep a list of past winners sortable by hometown. But, Thomas is the first scholar from Newark since at least 2001.

"I am truly honored and humbled to stand before you this evening to accept this proclamation from a school district and city I love," Thomas said earlier this month as he was honored by the School Advisory Board. 

"I truly believe in my heart this (being a Rhodes Scholar) will help me to come back and serve my city."

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