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These high schools have the top SAT scores in each of N.J.'s 21 counties

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Find out which schools have the highest average SAT score in your area.


With private funding, Newark reopens temporary homeless shelter

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Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Dr. Mark Wade announced Friday that the temporary extreme weather shelter will remain open until August 31 thanks to corporate sponsors and that the city will focus on funding programs to mitigate chronic homelessness.

After the shuttering of a temporary homeless shelter in Newark on one of the hottest days of the year, the city has reopened the extreme weather facility through the end of the summer. 

The shelter at 224 Sussex Avenue was originally opened to protect homeless residents temporarily during extreme, extended winter, but Newark officials pushed for it remain open past its original closure date in March.

On July 2, though, the program ran out of funding, and the facility that was then providing shelter from the summer heat shuttered.

Officials have since sought private funding, and on Friday, the businesses stepped in to help the homeless in the city.

Newark homeless plead with city to keep temporary shelter open

The facility, which is operated by a private sheltering organization, will reopen and house the residents until August 31 with financial support from United Airlines, PSEG, RWJBarnabas Health, Prudential/NJ Devils and University Hospital.

"As a community, we must continue working to increase access to temporary and permanent housing as it is critical to improving health outcomes for Newark residents," said John Kastanis, CEO of University Hospital. 

Newark is also preparing a request for proposal to contract with multiple sheltering organizations to provide resources to establish year-round sheltering as well as to bring job opportunities to homeless persons who would then qualify for a traditional housing voucher for permanent housing.

The Newark Housing Authority has opened 25 job opportunities for homeless persons who are willing to work construction and can pass a drug test. The salary of up to $22 an hour would qualify these individuals for Section 8 housing. 

In addition, a special voucher program is being established to provide supportive permanent housing for individuals with dual diagnoses of both chronic homelessness and severe mental illness. Approximately 45 housing opportunities have been made available, 21 from the state and 24 from the county.

The Newark Housing Authority has applied to the HUD Mainstream Voucher Program and is hoping to receive at least $2,500,000 in vouchers this year to support housing for 200 persons.

Rutgers Business School has also offered to partner with the city to create a financial plan to end homelessness. In addition, Newark is researching container homes, repurposed from steel shipping containers, and trailer homes to provide more housing opportunities.

"We just want to make sure there's no stone unturned in terms of the possibilities for providing housing for those who find themselves homeless," said Dr. Mark Wade, Director of Health and Community Wellness.

Newark is also reaching out to national organizations such as Community Solutions which runs a program entitled Built For Zero with the goal of ending all chronic homelessness. This is an initiative working across the country and has already entered New Jersey by partnering with Bergen County.

"The city really only had the authority to open up a shelter when there is a 'code blue' or 'code red' and we've extended that because Mother Nature has extended the winter and summer so we were able to use that as an emergency to continue to operate the shelter," said Mayor Ras J. Baraka.

"We don't really have a justification for keeping a shelter open 365 days a year, but there are providers who can do that and who will do that and we are going to support them."

Delaney Dryfoos may be reached at ddryfoos@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @delaneydryfoos. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark public safety director sworn in for 2nd term

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Ambrose began his career in Newark in 1986.

The city of Newark recently swore in Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, who will be overseeing the department for a second term. 

Both U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito and New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal attended Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose's Swearing-In ceremony to his second term.

Ambrose, who oversees the state's largest municipal police department, was originally sworn in by Mayor Ras J. Baraka in 2015. 

His career in Newark started in 1986 with him rising from police officer to chief and eventually to director in Newark by 2006. 

In 2008, Ambrose went to work for the county serving as chief of detectives with Essex County Prosecutor's Office. 

Currently, the Newark Police Department is under a federal monitor, who is tasked with overseeing that reforms are made and residents' civil rights aren't abused.

One of the city's efforts to combat crime under Ambrose's leadership was the installation of more than 60 cameras available for anyone to monitor sections of  the city online.

Over the next three years, Ambrose said there could be more than 300 cameras, if the police department received enough funding. 

He and other officials were pleased to announce, at the end of 2017, that homicides were down in Newark 31 percent, along with a 26-percent drop in robberies. However, there was also a 28 percent increase in shootings in the city.

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

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So you want to run a Facebook group in N.J.? Be ready for dogs, debates, drama

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Petty, local arguments have moved online, but so have some valuable community connections in Facebook groups that sometimes become unwieldy for admins.

Meet the 94-year-old who helped push a $165M school into existence

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Rev. Mamie Lee was the clergy of streets who continues to hold public officials accountable. Watch video

A picture of the Donald M. Payne School of Technology School hangs on the wall on in Rev. Mamie Lee's room at an East Orange nursing home.

A plaque honoring Lee is there, too. She was a one-time fiery community activist who never put up with lip service from public officials as a West Ward district leader in Newark.

Both mementos are lasting reminders of what Lee has meant to her neighborhood, and of her persistence surrounding plans for the state-of-the-art vocational facility that is pictured on her wall.

"May the work that I have done speak for me,'' Lee said. "'And, did I help somebody along the way?"

That's too many to count, Rev. Lee.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. gave the plaque and picture to his 94-year-old friend last month during ribbon cutting ceremonies. She was on stage with him when he said the school's community cafeteria would bear her name, with an engraved picture of Lee on a plaque.

It was a fitting tribute for this strong-willed servant. Known to hold officials accountable, Lee never minced words when her Newark neighborhood suffered through blight following the closure of the old United Hospital in the mid 1990s. In its footprint now is the school that Lee talked about constantly, knowing it would help 1,100 students carve out meaningful futures with vocational skills.

She hounded DiVincenzo about that school, called him just about every day once the county received 90 percent in state funding for the $165 million project.

"She kept us on our toes,'' he said. "She wanted to keep the pressure on. She was holding our feet to the fire to make sure it happened.''

Lee would calmly greet folks, praising the Lord in one breath, then wasted no time getting down to business, demanding that the school and neighborhood issues get addressed.

"I never met anybody like her,'' said Stanley Patterson, a West Ward district leader, who worked with Lee many years.

Lee summoned police captains, code enforcement officers, sanitation, and the fire department to meetings she organized through her organization - Block Association Network and District (BAND).

"She made sure the agencies did their job,'' Patterson said.

Lee peppered them with questions, the same way she stayed on DiVincenzo about the school whenever he stopped by her home on Ninth Avenue.

She was the face of the block, "the clergy of the street,'' which was her church that she fought to preserve, DiVincenzo said.

If the streets weren't cleaned, she wanted to know why. Same thing for inoperable street lights. Drugs? The police department had to have an answer about what was being done.

It was nothing for Lee to approach drug dealers by herself, telling them to change their ways.

"I walked out there and told them that they can do better,'' Lee said.

Some listened. Some didn't.

Lee's advocacy was the same in New York, where she lived most of her life before coming to Newark in 1991.

"The drug dealers got so mad at her,'' said Yvette Lee, her daughter who lives in Florida. "She will walk up to you in a minute and tell you, 'in the name of Jesus you will not sell these drugs on my street.'''

Lee stayed true to her convictions, a spiritual calling to fight for and serve her community.

"It's a gift that God gave me,'' she said.

new-school-dedication-d960aeca835213a8.jpgEssex County officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology in Newark in June. (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Ordained at age 28, Lee said she preached at different churches in New York. And, her faith was just as fervent musically. She's a classically trained singer, who sang in the choir at Metropolitan Baptist Church in New York.

From her wheelchair at the nursing home in East Orange, she went back in time, remembering a song she learned from her instructor in New York. Lee sang something in Italian, then switched to a Negro spiritual, her voice booming, "Go Down Moses."

All she needed was a keyboard to play. Lee improvised instead, running her fingers across her knees, scatting a musical scale, recalling how she learned to play on a piano growing up in Spring Hope, North Carolina.

When Lee came to Newark, she was in her mid 60s, but that didn't stop her activism.

"She made her presence known,'' her daughter said.

She became a district leader, encouraged people to vote and recruited residents to join BAND. The neighborhood group she started held block parties for children, gave out turkeys, coats and clothes to families in need. BAND continues today with her friend, Carolyn Bambara, leading the way.

Shannon Stevens, a resident, is there, too.

"She (Rev. Lee) gave me a foundation of how to handle things," Stevens said. "It was sad to see her leave. She cared for everyone."

The community trusted Lee. She was always in the middle of something, but never much troubled by any of it.

"This too shall pass,'' Lee said.

"Pray about it and go on and do what God put you here on earth to do," she continued.

She stopped in the middle of the interview. "You're trying to get me to preach," she said.

No, Rev. Lee. I'm just listening to an elder with wisdom, who knows that nothing lasts forever.

There is an exception, however, in your case.

It happens to be your legacy. Future generations of students will be able to read about you on when they see your plaque on their school wall.

Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The nicest people in Jersey are apparently in this town. So, the rest of us are jerks?

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There have to be more nice New Jerseyans out there, right?

N.J. pets in need: July 30, 2018

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Animals throughout New Jersey await adoption at shelters and rescues.

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

We've experienced some of the latter recently, and 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 greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.

$300K a year, a penthouse, and prominence. How the 'lavish' life of an N.J. political prince crumbled.

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The son of a longtime Newark City Councilman and state Assemblyman will turn himself in on Monday to serve three years in prison for his financial crimes.


'No more evil,' mother says as son's teacher gets 7 years for molesting students

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He was charged with 37 counts, but ultimately pleaded guilty to just four in the abuse of two students.

Standing before a Superior Court judge in Newark on Monday afternoon, former Bloomfield High School teacher Leo Donaldson expressed gratitude to the victim who exposed his crimes.

"I just want to say thank you to the young man who got me out of the place I was in by forcing this into the light," Donaldson said, tearfully attributing his molestation of former students to his own trauma from sexual abuse as a child.

Judge Richard T. Sules, however, told Donaldson, 32, that while his victimization had been tragic, it was neither "an excuse nor a justification" for his crimes, sentencing him to seven years in state prison on charges that included aggravated sexual assault and official misconduct.

Donaldson, who was arrested by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in October 2016, was charged by a grand jury last year with a total of 37 counts under an indictment that accused him of exploiting his position at the high school to coerce a number of male students into sex acts.

Authorities said the assaults took place both at Donaldson's home and in his classroom.

He ultimately pleaded guilty in March to aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct.

One of the two students he was convicted of assaulting addressed the court Monday, describing how Donaldson had gained his trust as a friend and personal ally before threatening to kick the boy off the track team if he didn't engage in sex acts at the teacher's direction.

"I am speaking for every boy and young man who didn't have the strength to speak after you took it away," the boy said.

In making his case to the judge for leniency, defense attorney Vlad Tyshchenko described Donaldson's own abusive upbringing on a "cult-like" family compound in Sussex County, where he was viciously beaten by an uncle and molested by a sibling.

Those traumatic experiences, the attorney said, stunted his client's development and led him to view his victims as peers, rather than as young students over whom he held power.

"I've been practicing law for 20 years, and I've never seen a defendant more remorseful -- genuinely remorseful -- for their actions" than Donaldson, Tsychenko said as his client, seated at the counsel table next to him, choked back tears.

The testifying victim's mother wasn't buying it, telling Donaldson: "Character is who you are in the dark, and my son was brave enough to come forward."

"No more evil," she said. "No more. It ends here."

Tsychenko asked the judge to sentence Donaldson to five years in prison -- the minimum end of the range -- arguing psychologists' assessments of his client showed a lack of compulsive behavior that would put him at risk of reoffending.

Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Celeste Montesino, however, argued one of those very same assessments nonetheless had explicitly declared Donaldson as having an "above average" risk of committing further crimes.

"There are no victims sitting at the defense table right now," Montesino said.

Donaldson, who appeared in court wearing a dark suit, purple shirt and a tie, was largely stoic as a sheriff's officer handcuffed his wrists behind his back while Sules imposed the sentence.

The teacher, who was immediately suspended from his Bloomfield High School job in the wake of his 2016 arrest, will forfeit his public position as part of his guilty plea. The State Board of Examiners had in April formalized the suspension of Donaldson's teaching certificates

Donaldson also will spend the rest of his life on parole supervision and must register as a sex offender under Megan's Law once he's released from prison, Sules ordered.

Tsychenko declined to comment further after the sentencing.

Leo Donaldson's husband Bradley Donaldson also was charged in the case with endangering the welfare of a minor, but has been approved to enter the state's Pre-Trial Intervention program, Montesino said.

Sules was scheduled to issue a final ruling on the application Monday afternoon after Leo Donaldson's sentencing.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriartyFind NJ.com on Facebook.

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Don't end N.J. contracts with ICE. Fight to improve jail conditions | Editorial

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This revenue helps tamp down our local property taxes. But is it blood money? The answer is no.

Democrat-led county governments are falling under fire from their own party, for collecting millions from the federal government to detain unauthorized immigrants in their jails.
 
Hudson, Bergen and Essex counties are raking in more than $6 million a month from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to WNYC's Matt Katz. Essex made nearly $3 million in May alone -- nearly double what it got in any month during Obama's presidency.
 
This is thanks to the Trump administration's soaring arrests, including people seeking asylum or separated from their children at the border; even long-time residents with no criminal history.

Like Pablo Villavicencio, a Brooklyn pizza deliveryman and father of two, who was held in Hudson county's lockup for nearly eight weeks after being arrested while dropping off food at an Army base.

Menendez: I wouldn't support ICE contract with jail
 
At the time, he was married to a U.S. citizen and in the process of applying for citizenship himself. Because of outrageous cases like this, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is among many Democrats who have condemned these jail contracts.

Jay Arena, running against Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, has said they are akin to "taking Donald Trump's blood money."
 
This revenue helps tamp down our local property taxes. But is it blood money? Should counties end their contracts with ICE?
 
The answer is no. If we did so tomorrow, immigrants like Villavicencio would not suddenly be released. They would be shipped much further away from their families and attorneys.

Immigrants face maggots and worse in ICE detention in N.J., report says
 
This is not just theoretical. When four county jails ended their ICE contracts a few years ago, immigrants held in Passaic, Middlesex, Monmouth and Sussex were moved as far away as Orange County and Buffalo, N.Y. Virtually no one came to visit them there, said Sally Pillay, head of an immigrant advocacy group. It's onerous enough for relatives working long hours and swamped lawyers to visit New Jersey's lockups.
 
Granted, we should not be wasting taxpayer money to warehouse people who are harmless. This was the point of bail reform in New Jersey: Keep the dangerous locked up, but ensure that people who pose no risk aren't crowding our jails, simply because they're poor. Yet now, thanks to ICE, the cells we cleared of low-risk detainees are being filled up again, with harmless immigrants.
 
Why should a pizza guy sit behind bars for close to two months, while a sex offender gets out with an electronic monitoring bracelet?
 
But the counties cannot stop ICE from detaining these people. So instead of effectively demanding that they are shipped further away, protestors should insist that we improve the conditions of our jails.
 
The Hudson lockup where Villavicencio was held with five parents separated from their kids at the Mexican border was "inhumane," he told the New York Daily News. "We had to clean the place from residuals of urine and feces, and there was no air conditioning. It was very difficult."
 
A February report by Human Rights First found much the same thing -- poor conditions in Hudson and Essex county jails, it said, including "countless complaints" of inadequate medical care, bad hygiene, racism and discrimination by staff and denial of due process.
 
The group called this a human rights violation. County officials deny it, saying their jails regularly pass inspections. Yet to maximize profits, they will always have an incentive to spend as little as possible on each person in custody. That's why improving oversight is crucial.
 
Largely thanks to a 2016 complaint by Pillay's group, Hudson county is now setting up a new system for medical grievances. If an allegation of poor care is not recognized by the jail, it will go to an outside appeals board. Why doesn't Essex adopt this as well?
 
Instead of breaking ties with ICE, which simply relocates detainees, turn the heat up on people like "Joe D" to improve how we are treating them.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Why Newark cops no longer chase every stolen car. We saw how one pursuit went down.

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Civilian complaints down 27 percent over last year

Rockefeller's great-grandson drops price to $3.2M for glitzy N.J. home (PHOTOS)

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The home originally went on the market in May for just under $3.4 million.

Even the great-grandson of the richest American of all-time can face some difficulties on the real estate market.

Nelson Rockefeller Jr. dropped the listing price on the 5,200-square-foot Montclair home that he owns with his wife, Amy Taylor, by $200,000 last week after originally putting the home on the market in May. It is now listed for just under $3.2 million, according to its Zillow listing.

The home has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and is located on a little less than an acre of land. The listing describes the Colonial-style home as "Perfect for today's lifestyle" and says the home is "unlike any other home in Montclair."

Highlights of the home include: a "spacious" master suite that has two walk-in closets and a luxurious bathroom, a chef's kitchen with high-end appliances, a library with built-in bookcases and a fireplace, a basement level with a fitness room, a movie theater, a playroom, a family room, and a blue stone patio and a pool in the backyard. 

According to the listing, the sale also includes a neighboring lot that was most recently assessed at $419,800. Total property taxes for the home and the neighboring lot are $87,509.

The couple bought the home for $2.55 million in 2011, according to property records. This is the first time it has been on the market since then, according to Zillow.

Nelson Rockefeller Jr. has not garnered the same attention as his father, who served as Gerald Ford's vice president from 1974-1977 after being the 49th governor of New York, and certainly not his great-grandfather, John D. Rockefeller, who as an oil baron and industrialist of the early 20th century amassed a legendary fortune.

According to The Observer, Rockefeller Jr. sold his Central Park West apartment for $7.4 million in 2015.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.comFind NJ.com on Facebook. 

N.J. home makeover: $70K for a new kitchen with mid-century flair

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N.J. home makeover is a regular feature on NJ.com that showcases designer, contractor and DIY renovations, large and small.

N.J. home makeover is a regular feature on NJ.com that showcases designer, contractor and DIY renovations, large and small. To submit your renovation for consideration, email home@starledger.com with your full name, email address, phone number and town/city. Attach "before" and "after" photos of what you renovated.


Barbara Kaplan and Edward Chestnut had six bedrooms and four bathrooms in a 1911 Montclair Colonial with 4,220 square feet of living space.

It was the house they'd lived in for more than 20 years as their son and daughter grew to adulthood. It was also a house with significant operating and upkeep expenses and a $36,000 tax bill that kept going up.

With their children grown and their own retirement approaching, Kaplan decided that a smaller house would allow them to better use their resources.

"My husband didn't want to go," she said.

But she convinced him that it would be better to spend their money on travel and experiences instead of property taxes and maintenance.

They enjoyed their life in Montclair and the town's proximity to New York and their children and grandchildren. Finding a suitable little house in Montclair wasn't easy, however, so they looked without luck in neighboring towns. Finally, a 1,800-square-foot Montclair split-level came on the market.

"I loved it the minute I saw it," Kaplan said. "It was much more livable because it was small enough that we wouldn't have to spend a lot living here."

Beyond that, the home's 1950s construction offered a sun porch, an enormous backyard, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sizeable play area for their grandchildren.

"It's a house that is surprisingly large on the inside," she said. "We had to fight to get it."

And while they were going against a couple of young buyers in a bidding war, they were planning renovations that would make the house their own. Thanks to advance planning by their interior designer Tracey Stephens once they were under contract, contractors were able to begin gutting the kitchen the day after Kaplan and Chestnut closed on the property.

"I was able to arrange with the attorneys for permission to file for a permit before closing," said Stephens, who noted that it typically takes about four weeks for building permits to be granted.

She had also measured the kitchen and ordered cabinetry.

"We were doing the planning, the drawing and ordering the cabinets before they closed," she said. "The cabinetry has an eight-week lead time, so we planned so they would be on site when we were ready."

The plan was a gut-renovation that would make the most efficient use of the kitchen's 143 square feet. Kaplan says that was about a third of the size of her old kitchen, but she wanted it to have all the same features and conveniences within the existing footprint.

"I thought there was a way to do it," she said. "It was just a question of whether we could fit everything."

Her wish list included a large food pantry and enough space for orderly storage of all the cookware, serving pieces and eating utensils she would bring along.

"I wanted to be able to make food and serve it without feeling I was living in an ant hill," she said.

They also wanted a kitchen where they could comfortably host their family and friends.

Stephens had a wall removed between the kitchen and dining room that opened up the space and gave the kitchen a bit of breathing room. Where the wall had been she ordered cabinetry for an L-shaped configuration including a 7-1/2-foot-long peninsula of cabinetry with an engineered stone countertop that matches other kitchen counters.

On the dining room side of the peninsula, Stephens made use of what could have been wasted or hard-to-reach space, giving it a stack of four drawers at the end where it flanks another cabinet on the opposite side. She also used four drawers in other areas of the kitchen.

"Sometimes in a base cabinet with three drawers, the drawers tend to be too deep," she said.

More drawers with less depth can offer a higher level of order.

Kaplan also wanted a dishwasher in drawers. Her previous kitchen had a double-drawer Fisher & Paykel dishwasher. Stephens, who specializes eco-friendly kitchen and bathroom design, also liked the dishwasher because it is among the kitchen's features that use water and energy wisely.

Stephens began the kitchen's design by devising a plan for the most advantageous placement of the dishwasher and other essential appliances. She then designed the cabinetry layout around them. The kitchen's plumbing and wiring needed to be upgrades before work began.

"You don't want to connect new appliances to old work, so we always replace all of that," she said.

While preparing the house involved fixing surprise defects -- including leaks, damaged flooring and a rotting wall -- the couple kept kitchen renovation costs in check by going with built-to-order cabinets by Eastman Street Woodworks in Massachusetts. Stephens recommendeds the company for its quality and cost-efficient practices.

"They offer very few modifications and no customizing, with a limited number of stains and door styles," she said.

But the accessories offered allowed Stephens to maximize storage and organization. They include four roll-out storage shelves in a tall pantry cabinet, a pull-out bin for utensils, and a narrow cabinet made for sheet pans and cutting boards.

The kitchen has mid-century modern influences in its flat, unembellished slab cabinet doors and the use of a cherry-colored stain on the cabinetry, as well as the trim around windows and double glass doors leading to the adjacent sunroom.

With the wider opening, there is enhanced natural light into the kitchen from the sunroom as well as improved flow between the kitchen, sunroom and a newly constructed backyard deck.

Radiant heat installed under the sunroom floor contributes to the home's overall heating and makes the room more useful in cold weather.

Stephens also outfitted the kitchen with easy-to-maintain surfaces. The engineered stone counters are stain resistant and don't need to be sealed. For the floors, she chose forgiving texture and color variation in porcelain tiles. (Ceramic tile is not durable enough for flooring, she notes.)

"You are not feeling like you have to clean it every five minutes," she said.

With the award-winning design and its smart use of limited space, Kaplan says she prefers the new kitchen to her previous larger one.

"Everything fits," she said. "I have so much storage space."

There's also enough room to entertain, with the peninsula's top used for both food prep and serving.

"I've had 10 people to dinner, and it's been fine," she said.

What they renovated

The kitchen, one bathroom and the sunroom of a 1950s split-level home in Montclair. A new backyard deck also was installed.

Who did the work

Tracey Stephens Interior Design and Jason Aksman of Fine Custom Carpenty, both in Montclair

How long it took

The kitchen took less than four months; the deck took two months.

What they spent

About $70,000 for the kitchen

Where they splurged

On the dishwasher, French doors to the sunroom and a counters-to-ceiling mosaic of glass tiles in a backsplash above the kitchen sink.

Where they saved

On other kitchen appliances, porcelain floor tiles and cabinets that weren't custom made.

What they like most

I love the kitchen - and so does everyone who sees it - and the deck.

What they'd have done differently

"The only thing I might have done differently was have a higher quality stove and maybe a larger sink," Barbara Kaplain said.

Kimberly L. Jackson may be reached at home@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.

Too on edge to let a random stranger hug you? These people say you should try it.

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Community group spreads love with hugs. Watch video

Demond Aikens was walking along Court Street in Newark, minding his own business, when he heard a loud, unusual request Saturday from a complete stranger.

"Hey, bruh. Can I get a hug?''

He looked up, puzzled, wondering if that sentiment was meant for him. The sincerity came from Al-Tariq Best, founder of FP Youth Outcry Foundation, a nonprofit that runs enrichment programs for young people.

Best was on the other side of the street, motioning for Aikens as he and his supporters did with many people that day -- to show Newark some love.

"It' ain't going to take about a second, '' Best said.

He extended his outstretched arm again, hoping Aikens would accept the invitation as they looked at each other where Court and Broome streets intersect.

"Come on, bruh."

Aikens sensed the positive energy from Best and the group with him. He walked across the street and hugged Best.

"That's what I'm talking about,'' Best said. "Thank you, man.''

Aiken agreed, and Best left, leading the others toward Prince Street.

For two miles, the small band of huggers hit the Central Ward, where FP Youth Outcry is located, to make a point that was well received.

"It's unusual, but we need more of this," Aikens said.

"We have to step up and we have to love on each other and be an example to these young people," Best said. "There is so much hate going on in our city, so much wrong stuff that's going on, we wanted to spread some hugs so that you can understand what love meant.''

With a police escort, they walked holding up colorful signs that said it all: Hugs4Healing. Stop Mean Muggin' and Start Huggin'.

carhugfile-6.jpegA supporter of FP YouthOutcry Foundation Inc. hugs a motorists during the organizations Hugs4Healing campaign to spread love in Newark. 

It was all smiles from people getting hugged on the sidewalk and lots of honking horns from motorists at stop lights. The hugs came in waves, with some short and heartfelt, while others were long and strong.

Only a few rejected the love offering. One man said he didn't do hugs. He did a fist bump instead. A woman in front of an apartment building on Washington and Court streets ran back inside.

With each encounter, people were not bum-rushed with affection. Everyone was asked first, then hugged.

"Some people have emotional triggers,'' said Denisah Lennon-Williamson, a social worker and chief executive officer of FP Youth. "They don't want to be touched.''

Lamar Clifton and Demetrius Thompson were on board when the group walked by Pilgrim Baptist Village on Eighteenth Avenue and asked them for hugs.

Clifton said the hug request caught them off guard, but the outgoing outreach was motivational, uplifting and definitely would foster unity.

"The sky is the limit,'' he said. "Love conquers all.''

Zaneen Thompson didn't mind at all when they reached Irvine Turner Boulevard near Eighteenth Avenue.

"Absolutely,'' Thompson said. "I want my hug. This is a beautiful thing.''

Further down the boulevard, Nasir Shakur, said this kind of effort is a step in the right direction.

stevenasirfile-10.jpegSteve Vierra, left, is a member of FP YouthOutcry Foundation. He hugs Nasir Shakur, of Newark, during the organization's Healing4Hugs campaign to spread love in the city. 

"That's big statement,'' he said. "It's different, but I respect it.''

The group turned the corner onto Avon, and headed to Jesse Allen Park, where residents there had just finished up their own hug fest that had been planned, unbeknownst to Best's group.

The Friends of Jesse Allen Park and the Boys and Girls Club hugged the block with a unity circle. Positive messages were left on the sidewalks in colored chalk. There was dancing, singing, drums playing and poetry.

When Best met them at the park, the gathering of the two groups looked like family reunion, with everyone in an embrace.

Minutes later, they were at McDonald's on Clinton Avenue near Lincoln Park, hugging people in line or sitting down having a meal.

Rachelle Brown, a patron, who hugged the huggers, said this kind of movement makes you stop and think about someone else.

"Everybody is so desensitized now,'' Brown said. "This lets them know that they are not alone.''

That's the point.

Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Murphy administration is shaking down polluters over toxic sites with 6 new lawsuits

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Officials will announce major crackdown on contaminated sites across the state.

Authorities in New Jersey are ramping up efforts to claw back money for environmental cleanups from polluters, filing six lawsuits over contaminated sites around the state.

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver are scheduled to announce the suits at a series of press conferences in Newark and Atlantic City on Wednesday.

"Today is just the beginning," Grewal said in a statement. "We are going to hold polluters accountable -- no matter how big, no matter how powerful, no matter how long they've been getting away with it. And we're sending a message to every company across the state: if you pollute our natural resources, we are going to make you pay."

New Jersey has spent decades grappling with its legacy of industrial pollution and is home to more toxic Superfund sites than any other state in the country.

The sites targeted in the new lawsuits include a Superfund site in Warren County, a school built on an industrial site that cost millions to de-contaminate, a former cigarette lighter factory in Newark and a former manufactured gas plant in Atlantic City, among others. 

Murphy gets flak for diverting Exxon money

Officials in Gov. Phil Murphy's administration say they are bringing the fight back to polluters after eight years under Gov. Chris Christie, who seldom went to court over contamination.

During Christie's tenure, the state drew criticism over a $225 million settlement with Exxon Mobil, which was the highest sum ever collected by New Jersey in an environmental suit but far less than the $8.9 billion the state claimed it was owed. 

But the settlement was ultimately upheld by the courts, and Murphy drew the ire of environmental advocates for diverting most of the money to balance the state budget, putting only $50 million toward environmental cleanup projects. 

Now the state is looking to fill its coffers even more with money from such natural resource damages claims, which seek payment for the domino effect of industrial pollution on the surrounding environment including groundwater, soil, rivers and streams.

Environmentalists applauded the Murphy administration's move. Greg Remaud, the   NY/NJ Baykeeper, said the new lawsuits are a signal to polluters that New Jersey is once again serious about enforcing clean up laws.

"What you'll see from this action, I suspect, is that a lot of other companies that are in violation will come into compliance now," Remaud said.

Three of the lawsuits filed Tuesday mark the first time in a decade the state has filed new natural resource damages claims. Three others are "cost recovery" cases seeking to reimburse taxpayers for work done by state agencies to clean up the contamination.

The six sites targeted by the state for this new legal action are representative of industry's toxic legacy in New Jersey.

The Pohtacong Valley Superfund Site in Warren County contaminated a nine-mile stretch of groundwater near Washington Township, Franklin Township and Greenwich Township with cancer-causing chemicals like perchloroethylene. 

In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $92 million settlement with the site's potentially responsible polluters. Pechiney Plastic, Inc. was given the primary responsibility for cleaning the site.

Two sites in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood are being targeted by the new lawsuits.

The first is the Ronson Metals Corporation site, the former home to a cigarette lighter manufacturer that contaminated groundwater with volatile, cancer-causing compound trichloroethylene. Homes were built on the site after Ronson left, despite deed restrictions that were supposed to stop residential development, and vapors from the pollution filled became a major problem for the new households.

The second Newark site is the former home of Ruggerio Seafood, Inc., another manufacturing facility.

In Middlesex County, two sites in Woodbridge are included in the new action. Both, a former Hess refinery in Port Reading and a former Mobil gas station in Fords, are reminiscent of the kind of pollution that led to the Exxon litigation.

The final location targeted by the state is the former site of a manufactured gas plant in Atlantic City. The site is now owned by Duell Fuel Company.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Battle rapper Tsu Surf recovering after being shot during robbery

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According to police, Newark rapper Tsu Surf's wounds were non life threatening.

Newark rapper Tsu Surf is recovering after being shot during an apparent attempted robbery over the weekend. 

Newark Police Department spokesman John Zutic confirmed the shooting took place on the 400 block of Lyons Avenue, and  the rapper, whose real name is Rajon Cox, was shot in his upper torso and shoulder.

The Newark Police Division Shooting Response Team is investigating the incident, but no suspects have been identified, Zutic said.

The rapper is among several others listed in XXL's Freshman class in 2016. 

In 2015, he released a mixtape called "Newark," which features appearances from Joe BuddenStyles P and Jadakiss.

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

Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

 

Vintage photos of N.J. hotels and motels

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Rooms for rent from New Jersey's past.

A report by the Combined Heat and Power Partnership (CHP) of the Environmental Protection Agency shows that in 2015 there were a total of 101,668 rooms available to book in New Jersey.

From bed and breakfasts to centuries old historic houses to the classic motel signs and designs of the Jersey Shore, travelers have always had a tremendous choice of places to stay in New Jersey.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Here's a gallery of vintage hotels and motels, as well as links to other galleries you might enjoy.

Vintage photos of N.J. hotels, motels and inns

Vintage photos of mansions and estates in N.J.

Vintage photos of estates and mansions in N.J.

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

Can I break a window to save a dog in a hot car? Here's the law in N.J.

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Here's what you can do to save that furry friend trapped in a hot car.

Here are the N.J. toxic sites targeted in Murphy administration push to make polluters pay

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The Murphy administration announced six new pollution lawsuits on Wednesday, declaring that the state is "back in business" for environmental enforcement.

N.J. weather: Strong thunderstorms, another heat wave on the way as roller coaster ride continues

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Weather forecasters say there's a threat of drenching thunderstorms and flash flooding in parts of New Jersey, along with miserable humidity and another heat wave.

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