Weather forecasters say a fast-moving storm will bring snow, sleet and rain across New Jersey and New York City on Presidents Day weekend, but there are still some questions about the storm track and snow accumulations.

Who is the top second-year player in the state? Cast your vote today.

Brandon Gould | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Across most of New Jersey this weekend, snow is expected to blanket the state on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 (2/17/2018). Below is the latest N.J. weather update from the National Weather Service for the snowstorm.

Everything you need for a full day of districts.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT ESSENTIALS
• Seeds for all 32 districts | Schedule
• The top matchups from all 32 districts
• The 10 toughest districts in N.J.
• Individual rankings | P4P rankings
• Final team ranks:  Top 20 | group and conference

FEATURED DISTRICTS
District 1 at Pascack Valley 
• Live Updates
• Recap
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 5 at Bergen Catholic 
• Live Updates |   Live video 
• Recap
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 7 at West Essex
•   Live video  

District 9 at Phillipsburg
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 11 at Morristown
• Live updates
• Recap
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 12 at Livingston 
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

RELATED: Seeds for all 32 districts

District 13 at Scotch Plains 
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 17 at Middletown South 
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 18 at Red Bank Regional 
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 22 at Howell
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 26 at Rowan College-Gloucester
• Live updates
• Recap

District 27 at Lacey
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 28 at Collingswood
• Live updates
• Recap
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 29 at Kingsway
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 30 at Clearview 
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 31 at Absegami
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 32 at Williamstown
• Live updates
• Recap
•  photo gallery
• Finals | 3rd place | Semis

COMPLETE RESULTS BY DISTRICT
District 1 |  photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 2
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 3
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 4
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 5
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 6
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 7
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 8
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 9 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 10 
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 11
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 12 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 13 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 14
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 15
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 16
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 17 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 18 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 19
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 20
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 21
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 22 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 23
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 24
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 25
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 26
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 27 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 28
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 29 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 30 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 31 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

District 32 |  Photo gallery
• Recap | Finals | 3rd place | Semis

Snow-shoveling may be the most perfect way to have a heart attack, cardiologists warn. Here's how to do it safely. Watch video

No one would think of running a marathon without weeks of training, but after sitting on our butts all year, we think nothing of shoveling thousands of pounds of snow in an hour.

Cardiologists warn that's exactly why hundreds of people die of surprise heart attacks after a huge snowfall.

"If I were to design one exercise guaranteed to give you a heart attack, it would be shoveling snow," says Dr. Cindy Grines, one of the nation's preeminent cardiologists and the chair of cardiology at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine on Long Island.

The reason is that shoveling plus ice cold weather tend to work together that produce exponentially bad results. 

Shoveling is typically done without any warm-up, Grines notes, and requires the use of seldom-used arm muscles. That makes it more taxing than using, say, the legs we walk around on constantly. Doing so in the cold of winter causes "vaso-constriction"  the shrinking of the arteries that decreases blood and oxygen supplies to the heart.

And that's not even the worst of it.

When you hold your breath to hurl that shovelful of snow, you're performing something physiologists term the "Valsalva Maneuver" -- basically, ramming your diaphragm up against the lower chambers of your heart, further decreasing the volume of blood being pumped and forcing your ticker to beat faster to make up the difference.

See where this is headed? If you said, "the E.R." go to the head of the class, because some 11,000 people wind up being hospitalized for snow shoveling-related injuries annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

(Indeed, the only other times we tend to perform the Valsalva maneuver are when we're on the toilet, or giving birth. If you doubt how stressful that can be, just remember how both Elvis and Catherine the Great left this world straining on the throne.)

So, just how risky is shoveling the cold white stuff? So perilous that Dr. Barry Franklin, director of preventative cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan says people over 55 shouldn't even shovel snow at all.

"It's like the 'perfect storm' of heart attack risks," said Franklin, explaining that just 15 minutes of shoveling snow is the equivalent of a five-mile bike ride.

"The average shovel-full of snow is sixteen pounds," explains Franklin. "So you're basically moving the equivalent of a mid-sized car every 15 minutes."

Frankin adds that human psychology is also to blame for the riskiness associated with shoveling. Because of our tendency to view shoveling snow as a goal-driven activity, we'll ignore pain and signs of distress until we clear that last bit of asphalt.

So, what should you do if you absolutely must shovel?

For starters, don't drink coffee or smoke a cigarette beforehand -- both caffeine and nicotine work to reduce blood flow, straining your heart, which is about to get a big workout.

For another, whenever possible, push, don't lift. Pushing your shovel like a snow plow is far easier on the heart than lifting and twisting.

When you do lift, lift with your legs, keep your back straight, and throw the snow directly in front of you, not to the sides.

"I call lifting and twisting the 'gruesome twosome,' " says Matt Bocian, a doctor of physical therapy based in West Orange. "It's exactly what brings people into PT with strained backs."

Finally, say both cardiologists and therapists, simply take it easy:

• Take breaks every five to ten minutes.
• Drink water before, and during, shoveling.
• Shovel in shifts, clearing no more than two inches of snow at a time, rather than letting it all accumulate.

"The day after a snowstorm, we are ready and primed to go," said Dr. Rajiv Jauhar, chief of cardiology at Northwell Health in Roslyn, New York. "We expect to see a lot of patients coming in with heart attacks."

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser.

Despite Gov. Phil Murphy's support of cannabis, he delayed adopting a medical advisory panel's recommendation the program add broad conditions, like chronic pain and anxiety.

As New Jersey's first medicinal marijuana provider six years ago, the founder of Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair said he and his partners drained their bank accounts when lenders would not touch them. They tangled with a distrustful administration of then-Gov. Chris Christie before and after they opened. 

Now that the state has a governor who is willing to expand the medical marijuana program and legalize recreational cannabis, Greenleaf's CEO Julio Valentin and other dispensary owners who took the early financial and legal risks say they are ready to step up and serve this growing market. 

"I've proven myself before and I can do it again," Valentin said in a recent interview. "Just give me the opportunity to do what I do."

But despite Gov. Phil Murphy's support of cannabis, his administration delayed what many expected he would do right away: adopt a medical advisory panel's recommendation to add broad conditions like chronic pain and anxiety. 

Doing so likely would have opened the door to thousands of patients. Murphy says he's waiting for the results of a 60-day audit of the medicinal program before he discusses his next move.

Murphy officials are concerned New Jersey's five dispensaries won't be able to meet the demands of a larger patient base beyond the nearly 16,000 people enrolled in the medical program, according to insiders privy to the conversations.

Check out NJ Cannabis Insider, a newsletter from nj.com

Investors and entrepreneurs are pushing for a piece of the medicinal marijuana market once the audit is complete.

Dan Bryan, Murphy's spokesman, last week confirmed that new dispensaries will be added. Bryan did not specify whether this meant permitting existing operators to open satellite locations, licensing new growers, or both. 

"Governor Murphy remains committed to expanding New Jersey's medical marijuana program and eliminating unnecessary barriers to access for patients who currently are not able to obtain medical marijuana treatments in the state," Bryan said. "Gov. Murphy is committed to doing everything within his authority to modernize the program, a process that will include opening new dispensaries in the state as the need for medical marijuana expands."

Bill Caruso, a founding member of the pro-legalization group, New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform and a lobbyist for an aspiring grower, said he agrees with the governor's decision "to pump the brakes."

"They are worried about what happened in Nevada," where medicinal dispensaries ran out of supply almost immediately after recreational marijuana was legalized on July 1. "We have only six dispensaries -- not even six."

New Jersey has five dispensaries; a sixth, Foundation Harmony in Secaucus, is expected to open in early spring, a spokeswoman said last week.

Caruso said he expects Murphy will approve an expansion for both veterans and newcomers to the medicinal program.

Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, said he understands both the Murphy administration reticence and the frustration of dispensary owners and patients.

"They want to encourage competition for quality and cost, but they don't want to create an environment where there are too many dispensaries," Vitale said.

 "New conditions should be approved immediately" so patients and their physicians can start the process of applying to the program, he added.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Mercer, introduced a bill on Thursday that would address several of Murphy's concerns with the state's medical marijuana program. Among other provisions, the bill would triple the number of dispensaries, allow patients to buy edibles and other products, and it would add chronic pain to the list of qualifying conditions.

Kris Krane, CEO of 4Front Ventures, a cannabis investment and management firm, predicts New Jersey will use an expanded medical marijuana program to help launch its recreational market later on.

States that used medical dispensaries to help the expansion into a recreational market have had the most success, while other states that tried to start a recreational market from scratch struggled in the beginning, said Krane, board of trustees member of the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association.

"You can kind of kill two birds with one stone here by doing the morally important thing...while building the infrastructure" for a recreational market, he said.

After years of living under the most restrictive medical marijuana program in the nation, dispensary owners says they are anxious to demonstrate what they can offer. 

Aaron Epstein, general manager of Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge, said the facility has an additional 20,000 square feet of space that could be used to increase production. He also has an agreement for another cultivation site. He wouldn't provide specifics on either plan, saying it was too early to comment.

"We're currently planning to be able to handle increased demand," Epstein said during a recent tour. "We're hoping sometime within the next month and half we see these expanded conditions, we see some of these barriers to entry eliminated and we see a lot of progress in moving this industry forward." 

David Knowlton, board president for Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor, said they have room inside their 80,000 square-foot facility to double their growth in 90 days, and "double it again in another 90 days.

The dispensary owners recently met with Deputy Health Commissioner Jackie Cornell at her request, Knowlton said, to talk about meeting increased demand.

"They were very responsive, collegial and problem-solving," Knowlton added.

Some patients say they are eager for change.

"I wait on a line now at my dispensary and when I get to the counter, they are usually out of the strain that I need," Edward Grimes of East Hanover, a registered patient and cannabis activist told, NJ Advance Media.

Amanda Hoffman of Summit, also a registered patient, said she is "fed-up with the utter nonsense" of the state's program.

"Current (dispensaries) cannot keep up with current patient traffic. We need the Department of Health Commissioner to sign those petitions on his desk ASAP, but we need more dispensaries and more options to support that anticipated patient growth," Hoffman added.

Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider 

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook

Visually impaired women will prove they are more than their eyesight in the Ms. Blind Diva Empowerment Pageant 2K18.

People with sight say the oddest things to those who are blind.

"Oh, you're so pretty,'' like how can that be?

Danielle DiBello, 30, of Saddle Brook, who is legally blind, said she hears that often and finds it irksome.

To her, it says blind people can't be attractive, letting the insensitivity roll off her back.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

Then there's this one that cracks up Joanna Mallard, 32, of Jersey City.

"Who dressed you today?''

"Nobody, I'm just living life,'' said Mallard, who lost her vision due to retinal detachment 12 years ago.

What will they say June 2, when these women grace the stage in Newark during the Ms. Blind Diva Empowerment Pageant 2K18?

Mallard and DiBello are among eight women to sign up first for the pageant hosted by Eyes Like Mine Inc., a Newark nonprofit organization that breaks down stereotypes and stigmas associated with the blind.

This is the second pageant the group has organized, an idea that its president, Krystle Allen, thought of when she was a student at Essex County College. As she walked to class, Allen said, she could hear students referring to her as the "blind girl," a tag she didn't like.

"If they're going to call me something, they're going to call me Blind Diva,'' said Allen, who likes to dress in style and wear her trademark 6-inch high heel shoes.

From that experience, Allen and her vice president, Naquela Wright, who  also is blind, rolled out the pageant idea to empower visually impaired women.

For Mallard, the pageant is an opportunity to help others struggling with blindness the way she once did.

"I was depressed and suicidal, because I felt like I was too young for this,'' said Mallard, who was 20 at the time.

"It was a struggle, but once I got over the hump, I walk in the liberty knowing that I'm more than my eyesight.''

Mallard is a poet, licensed foster parent and motivational speaker.

DiBello, after pulling herself through difficult times, such as depression, is a licensed massage therapist and has sung in several talent shows.

Born blind in her left eye, DiBello said she became legally blind in her right eye at 12 years old from retinal detachment. People were off-putting and didn't know how to interact with her, she said.

"Oh, so you can see, but you can't see,'' said DiBello, remembering how she was treated. "I didn't fit into the blind world, and I didn't fit into the sighted world.''

When she turned 20, DiBello accepted being blind and sought help on how to live. "I can see a future, whereas I didn't before,'' she said.

Now DiBello can add Diva to her platform after she and  a number of other visually impaired women attended an informational session about the pageant last Saturday at the Ashley Stewart clothing store in Newark.

They came from across the state: from Keyport, Plainfield and Irvington, to Saddle Brook, Jersey City and Maplewood.

One contestant, Tekesha Saffold, 35, flew in from Palm Beach, Florida.

"I've always wanted to be a part of something like this,'' said Saffold, who lost her sight nine years ago from retinal detachment.

Saffold said she had a hard time accepting her situation, thinking her sight would return. Once she got past the denial, Saffold gradually became comfortable with visual impairment and confident in her abilities. An avid traveler, she graduated college with a bachelor's degree in social work and is now president of the National Federation of the Blind for Palm Beach County. This summer, she's planning a life-after-sight party to celebrate her accomplishments.

"I don't look at my blindness as something that holds me back,'' she said.

Neither does Tara Invidiato, 33, of Keyport, who is entering the pageant for another reason. Invidiato is deaf and blind. Her participation, she said, is to reach the deaf-blind community.

"It's very hard for the deaf-blind to come out,'' Invidiato said. "I'm trying to show them that they have the power to come out and do anything they can.''

She was born deaf, but Invidiato said losing her sight three years ago to aggressive glaucoma was tough.

"I couldn't read anything. I couldn't talk,'' she said. "Without any communication, that will drive you nuts."

MORE CARTER:'The ultimate Scout' led Newark troop for generations | Carter

Invidiato learned Braille in 10 months and continued to use American Sign Language. Today, she teaches individuals who are guides for blind people and she is on the board of directors for the American Association of the Deaf-Blind.

Eyes Like Mine takes pride in showing those of us with sight what the blind community can do.

Two years ago, the organization had blind folks wearing out the dance floor during its Dancing With the Blind competition at Essex County College in Newark. The dancers did salsa and hip-hop, liturgical and modern dance, house music and tap dance routines.

The pageant should be just as riveting.

Allen is looking for more contestants to take part in the Blind Diva competition. There will be workshops on public speaking, walking the runway, make-up tutorials. Those who are interested, can sign up at  https://fs29.formsite.com/Y0fLJb/form3/index.html. The deadline is Feb. 24. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door, which happens to be The Club House, 205 Spruce St., Newark.

Come on out. Trust me, Eyes Like Mine won't disappoint.  Oh yeah, they want us to dress to impress.

The Blind Divas certainly will.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or 

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Saturday night.

Authorities are investigating a homicide near an Irvington laundromat after a man was shot and killed Saturday night on the 500 block of Chancellor Avenue. 

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers said officers arrived at the laundromat around 7:15 p.m. where they found a man who had been shot. The victim was taken to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly before 8 p.m. 

The man has not been identified, pending notification to his family, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly said in a press release.

The laundromat was not named and it's not clear whether the man was shot inside. The investigation remains under investigation.  

Anyone with information can call the prosecutor's office tip line at: 877-847-7432.

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

Check out photos from Essex County's zoo after the weekend snowfall. Watch video

Zoo keepers not only had to shovel six inches of snow off the ground, but had to take heavy snow off the top of some exhibits at the Turtleback zoo.

The snow leopard, of all animals, had snow removed off the netting over his enclosure but after coming out for a few minutes went back inside.

Carnivore keepers Robyn Meo-Henry and Lindsay Harney used poles to knock off the snow and ended up getting plenty of snow dropped on their heads.

Rico the jaguar found his favorite toy, a 55 gallon blue barrel, and gave it a bite and dragged it across his area.

The snow delayed the zoo opening by two hours.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

Nearly 9 million dogs and 4.5 million cats in the U.S. have health insurance.

Some pet stats for the day:

 A 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association found that 68% of U.S. households, or about 85 million families. This is up from 56% of U.S. households in 1988, the first year the survey was conducted.

The kinds of pets owned? Dogs account for just over 60%, with cats at 47% (bear in mind, the total can exceed 100% because some households, like mine, have cats AND dogs, as well as other possible pets). Fish, freshwater and saltwater, account for 15%, birds 8%, and small animals like hamsters and gerbils 7%.

The survey also found that 10% of dog owners and 5% of cat owners have health insurance for their pets. Based on the total number of dogs and cat in the US that equates to nearly 9 million dogs and over 4.5 million cats with insurance.

And some completely random pet facts:

Three dogs (from first-class cabins) survived the sinking of the Titanic - two Pomeranians and one Pekingese.

Dogs and humans have the same type of slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) and during this REM stage dogs can dream. The twitching and paw movements that occur during their sleep are signs that your pet is dreaming

Cats make more than 100 different sounds whereas dogs make around 10.

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

Property tax prepayments for bills due in 2018 in some towns jumped more than 1,000 percent compared to prepayments for 2017, ahead of limits on deductions from federal income taxes in 2018, a boon for towns collecting interest on the money

A Gloucester County police department is training officers to use de-escalation tactics to defuse potentially violent encounters.

NJ.com's latest boys basketball rankings

The sergeant discharged his weapon around 9 p.m. near Broadway and 7th Avenue

No one was injured Sunday night when a Newark police sergeant fired his gun at a suspect, though few details about the circumstances were provided, authorities said. 

The incident took place around 8:30 p.m. near Broadway and Crane Street, police said. 

The suspect fled in a black Acura TL with a temporary tag, according to Capt. Derek Glenn. It was last seen traveling south on Broadway possibly in the direction of the Bridge Street bridge toward Harrison and East Newark, he added. 

The Acura might be a 2004-2008 model, police said. 

The shooting remains under investigation. 

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

Who will move on to the sectional quarterfinals? Take a look at our staff picks.

2018 NJSIAA region wrestling tournament brackets are below. Each weight class within each region is a separate bracket. Each bracket is printable. Click through the brackets below for each weight c...

2018 NJSIAA region wrestling tournament brackets are below. Each weight class within each region is a separate bracket.

Each bracket is printable. Click through the brackets below for each weight class.

NOTE: Brackets will be added all day on Monday, please check back for the latest.
We will be updating the brackets throughout the tournament, so check back as the results flow in on Wednesday and Friday nights -- and all day on Saturday.

Region 1 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 2 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 3 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 4 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 5 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 6 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 7 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Region 8 brackets
106 | 113 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 145
152 | 160 | 170 | 182 | 195 | 220 | 285

Nutley parent Erica Zarro is one of 16 parents asking that armed guards and metal detectors be placed at local schools.

Sixteen parents are urging district officials in Nutley to employ armed guards and metal detectors in all schools after a video appearing to show teenagers firing guns was posted online last week.

"I understand that having guards and metal detectors are 'unappealing' and might be perceived as making our school district look unsafe," Erica Zarro, mother of a 6-year-old, wrote in the letter. "But then the question becomes what is more important to us - appearances or our children?"

The video, which was posted to Instagram on Feb. 15, contains photos of teenagers appearing to shoot a handgun and a rifle at a firing range. The video also shows Nutley High School and unidentified children in a classroom.

The brief clip is set to the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by indie pop band Foster the People.

Among the lyrics: "You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks. You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

"The video is incredibly creepy, direct threat or not," Zarro said Monday night.

Concerning Zarro and parents even more was the timing - the video was posted a day after 17 children were murdered at a school in Parkland, Florida.

A Nutley High School student alerted his parents to the post, which prompted a police investigation.

The video is linked to a Nutley resident's account, which is now marked private.

"We have spoken to the individual (who) posted the video and detectives are in the process of speaking with all individuals from the video to ascertain further information," police said in a statement last week.

The names of the students in the video were not released and police said they did not believe there was an active threat to the schools.

However, schools Superintendent Julie Glazer ordered district schools closed until after winter break on Tuesday.

"Because of the nature of the world in which we live, there was no other decision to be made," Glazer said in a statement.

Zarro, whose son attends Lincoln Elementary School, said she and other parents were left shaken by an email and robo call they received from the district near midnight on Thursday.

"My first reaction was paralyzing fear, anger and confusion," she said. "To be told your child's school isn't safe is bad enough, but then not being given details or an opportunity to ask questions is extremely disconcerting and scary."

Zarro and her son's father, Frank Zarro, also of Nutley, signed the letter.

By Monday, 14 other parents of district students had contacted Erica Zarro through social media and asked to sign the letter, she said.

The parents have children in four of the districts seven schools, according to Zarro.

The letter has been forwarded to Glazer, Nutley Mayor Joseph Scarpelli and Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco.

So far, there has been no response from district officials, Zarro said.

Glazer did not return a call left on her cellphone Monday night. Scarpelli and Petracco could not be reached for comment.

Tonight, the district administration became aware of a security threat. The police are actively investigating. As it gets later in the evening, we have decided to err on the side of safety and close schools tomorrow, February 16, 2018. Read more: https://t.co/zh3ojZvW3A

-- NutleyPSD (@NutleySchoolsNJ) February 16, 2018

Frank Zarro said he hopes Nutley can come up with the money to hire armed guards at each of its schools, adding he does not believe gun control legislation is enough.

"Laws aren't going to erase the fact that there are illegal guns on the street and those who want to get them will get them," he said. "When it comes to our children, I don't play odds."

In her letter, Zarro cited other districts - including nearby Belleville - that employ armed guards.

"We are in essence sending our teachers, principals and other school staff to protect our children every day, as if they don't have enough responsibility in teaching and mentoring them," Erica Zarro wrote.

"I am asking that you please make our children a priority," Zarro wrote. "Please put guards, metal detectors, something in these schools to protect our children."

One parent said only an armed guard can effectively monitor who enters a school building.

"If an armed guard were present, then he or she would be at that door and be the only person to allow, and escort, guests to the office," Andrea Prince wrote on Facebook. "That is what we are asking for at the very least."

Most of the parents who signed the letter plan to be at the district's next Board of Education meeting, planned for Feb. 26, Zarro said.

Screen grab from a video posted to Instagram appears to show a teenager firing a rifle. The video also contained a photo of Nutley High School. 

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

After two meetings, Newark residents are still leery about the ability of a multi-service agency to operate a shelter for homeless veterans.

The first community meeting on a shelter for homeless veterans in Newark was a flop.

Independence: A Family of Services Inc. (IFS) of Irvington tried to explain its proposal in September, but the agency's president cut the meeting short when residents became upset after expressing concern about the facility to house 40 veterans in the East Ward.

The multiservice agency tried again last week, holding the gathering inside the three-story building that will house the shelter on Van Buren and Elm streets.  IFS didn't cancel the meeting this time, but the nonprofit group still failed to win the support of residents leery about the agency's ability to implement the plan.

"You're either going to believe me or not," said Margaret Woods, president of the agency. "I don't spend my life lying to people.''

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Michael Pimentel, owner of a flower shop near the shelter, is among the nonbelievers. While admitting that the project for veterans is worthy, he is not confident IFS can do the job in a building that he believes is not big enough.

"There are too many large question marks," he said. "I'm not against the concept, but they're living in a fantasy land if they think it's going to work there.''

Under zoning laws, the building would be permitted to house the shelter. However, it needs the Central Planning Board to approve several variances for the project to work.

For instance, the distance between the front, side and rear of the building and the street line is not sufficient. Also, the area, according to a planning board staff report, does not provide enough parking.

But a study by the engineering firm Stonefield Engineering & Design of Rutherford, hired by IFS, concluded that there is ample parking. Residents were in disbelief, and laughing, when Woods presented the survey's results.

"Anyone who lives here knows that's not true,'' said John Goldstein, an Ironbound resident who supports the project because he understands that veterans need housing.

Lost in the conversation, though, are the voices of veterans who do not want residents to fear them.

Cheryl Turner, a veteran, said she was once homeless. She's stable now, but from 2008 to 2102, she lived in her car after losing her home in which she cared for veterans. Unable to keep up with mortgage payments, Turner said, she had to give up her home after a short sale.

"What the people have to understand is this: All veterans just want a place to call home. If we need help, we need help,'' said Turner, who is the district commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for Essex County.

But Turner was too proud to ask for help even as she maintained leadership positions in veteran organizations. She was the first female commander of American Legion Post 251 in Montclair and the state vice commander of the legion in New Jersey.

Turner said veterans will be closer to home by having a facility in Newark. There are similar shelters in Flemington and Vineland, but many local vets won't go because of the distance.

"A lot of them go couch to couch, sleep under bridges or they go to Penn Station,'' Turner said.

Residents, meanwhile, continue to say they are not against veterans, but that the location is inappropriate because it's near a preschool and East Side High School and that they are concerned about veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

At the meeting, residents asked several questions: How will the program be funded? Will veterans be the only residents? What happens if anticipated grant funding doesn'tcome through?

Woods said the commitment is to veterans. They will live in the building on a temporary basis until they move into permanent housing.  While there, she said, veterans will receive mental health and counseling services, life skills training and be taken to the Veterans Affairs hospital in East Orange for other services.  There also will be cultural and recreational programs, and a rooftop garden to augment common areas on each floor.

She could not, however, guarantee what happens in the future. As for funding, Woods said her agency is seeking grant money, but added that she would not open the facility if she couldn't receive funding.

Resident Manuel Lima is having a hard time with the project, from uncertainty about funding to whether IFS has the credentials to run the program.

"I want to make sure they are capable of offering what they say they are going to offer,'' Lima said. "Do they have the means?"

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Woods said her team has experience working with homeless veterans, and it has looked at best practices in the field to ensure veterans will receive quality care.

After 90 minutes, residents said they think it's a done deal, even though it's not. Plus, they were not pleased by what they believe was a lack of notification for this meeting, even though IFS said residents within 200 feet of the project were sent certified mail. Some said they were not notified, including Pimentel's mother, who lives next door.

The planning board will hold a final meeting on the project Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Newark City Hall.

Arguments for and against the shelter will be heard, after which the board will make a decision.

No doubt, there won't be a problem with the turnout on both sides of the aisle.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or 

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

Everything to know and look out for in the boys basketball state tournament.

The blaze started in one car and spread to one next to it

Two cars in the Seton Hall University parking deck were damaged when one caught fire and the blaze spread to another vehicle Tuesday morning, a school official said. 

No one was injured and firefighters have extinguished the fire, university media relations director Laurie Pine said. 

when they play my mixtape in the parking deck [?] [?] @SetonHall pic.twitter.com/N1LjpZCOtU

-- [?] wonderfull[?] (@ItzWonderfull) February 20, 2018

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire on the fourth floor of the deck. 

Firefighters were still on the scene as of 10:15 a.m. 

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