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North Jersey restaurant news: New places to eat and more

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What's happening at spots in Edgewater, Highland Park and Livingston

Fried clams, fish and chips and calamari are on the menu of a new restaurant in Edgewater, but Maine lobster is expected to be the real draw at Jack's Lobster Shack on River Road. In fact, that's the entire philosophy of the business: Maine has arrived in Edgewater. Specialties include New England clam chowder and lobster rolls served with homemade coleslaw. The casual spot is decorated with lobster buoys and Americana decor, and whoopie pie is on the dessert menu. Surely there are worse ways to kick off the summer season. See the full menu at jackslobstershack.com.

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418burger.jpgA selection of burgers from 418 Burgers in Highland Park. 

The Jersey Burger is one of the specialties at 418 Burgers, which opened last fall in Highland Park. That particular burger features Black Angus beef on a brioche bun. With a fried egg. And -- wait for it -- Taylor ham and (cheddar) cheese. The restaurant also serves chicken cordon bleu bites. Those clever items aside, the menu is full of basic burger house favorites, with build-your-own options that include pork belly and avocado, plus house-made chips. Details are on the restaurant's Facebook page

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Tom Valenti, the chef who conquered the Upper West Side, made big news last year when he announced that his iconic restaurant Ouest -- famous for its short ribs and its red leather booths -- was closing. The reason? Escalating rents. Now, the great chef is bringing his talents to Jersey. Valenti has been named culinary director of Strip House in Livingston, which is owned by Penny, Mathew and Peter Glazier. Valenti will be tweaking the Strip House menu, adding some of his signature dishes. The relationship is also bearing fruit in other ways. Valenti, with Mathew Glazier, also is opening a restaurant this spring in the West Village. Visit striphousenewjersey.com.

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Judge: Woman who killed innocent bystander shows 'callous disregard' for life

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Amber Brooks was sentenced in the 2013 fatal shooting of Michael Brown on a Newark street

NEWARK -- About three months after she turned 18, Amber Brooks was arguing with Jennifer Prophet on a Newark street on Feb. 3, 2013 when she raised a handgun and fired four shots in Prophet's direction.

The shots missed Prophet, but one bullet struck and ultimately killed 49-year-old city resident Michael Brown as he was coming out of a nearby restaurant.

In sentencing Brooks on Friday to 101/2 years in state prison for the fatal shooting, Superior Court Judge Carolyn Wright said Brooks had shown "an indifference to the value of human life."

"Rather than real remorse, the court has only seen of Ms. Brooks callous disregard for other people," the judge said.

Brooks, now 21, of Newark, was convicted by a jury at her second trial on Feb. 1 of reckless manslaughter, unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated assault by pointing a firearm. She was acquitted of a murder charge.

At her first trial in 2014, the jury found Brooks not guilty of an attempted murder charge, but could not reach a verdict on the remaining charges.

Under her sentence, Brooks received an aggregate prison term of nine years for the reckless manslaughter and weapon charges. She must serve more than seven years before becoming eligible for parole.

Brooks also received a term of 18 months in prison for the aggravated assault charge, which must be served consecutively to the nine-year prison term. She will receive credit for more than three years of time served.

The case represents Brooks's first conviction as an adult, but the judge noted how she has an extensive criminal history as a juvenile, starting when she was arrested for simple assault at the age of 11.

On the night of the incident, Prophet said she, her uncle, and another man walked over to Elizabeth Avenue to find Brooks, because Prophet believed Brooks was responsible for an earlier break-in at her Milford Avenue residence.

When Brooks arrived at the scene with two boys, Prophet said Brooks pulled out a gun and pointed it in her face. Prophet said one of the boys took the gun away from Brooks, but she snatched it back and opened fire in Prophet's direction, ultimately striking Brown.

When Brooks was later in custody at the Essex County jail on charges in the fatal shooting, authorities recorded phone calls in which she said nobody was hurt in the incident.

The judge said that sentiment demonstrates Brooks "disturbingly callous disregard for the life of a completely innocent bystander."

During Friday's hearing, Brown's relatives remembered him as a kind and hard-working father of three, and said his death has devastated their family.

Brown's brother, James Brown, said that when others were feeling sad and angry, his brother would "put a smile on your face."

"If anybody can go to a restaurant and get something to eat and come out and get shot and killed, I don't understand it," he said.

Brown's son, Anthony Wilson-Brown, said he "lost a father, a mentor and a great friend of mine."

But the family members also criticized Brooks for not showing any remorse over the killing.

"He left a mark of goodness on every life he touched. My family has been torn apart by his loss," said Brown's sister, Rosemarie Scott. "My family has a lot of healing to do."

Addressing Brooks directly, Scott added: "To this day, you have shown no remorse and have yet to apologize to my family.

When Brooks later addressed the court, she apologized to the Brown family.

"I want to say sorry to the family for their loss," Brooks said.

But Brooks also cast blame on Prophet and her family, saying they provoked her and threatened her. Brooks said Prophet may seem innocent, but "her and her family played a big part."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Baraka: I didn't know about lead when I was a Newark principal

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The city's mayor says he was kept in the dark about elevated lead levels in the district that apparently go back to at least 2004.

NEWARK -- Before he was mayor of the state's largest city, Ras Baraka was a principal at Newark's Central High School. As details emerge of lead remediation efforts that past officials say were in place in the school system during Baraka's tenure, the mayor says he and other school officials were kept in the dark.

"None of it," Baraka said, when asked how much he knew about elevated levels of lead found in the district's drinking water and the past efforts to remediate it.

"Which is completely alarming to me."

Lead in Newark: What we know, what we don't

According to data released by the school district this week, elevated lead levels were not found at Central High School during the 2012-13 school year, when Baraka was still at the district. Lead testing data from previous years has not yet been released.

Central did report elevated lead levels during the 2014-15 school year, after Baraka had already become mayor.

But, during his six years as principal, "I never got one update or memo" about lead, he said. "In all of the meetings I attended with (principals of other Newark schools), it was never discussed."

That seems to run contrary to the procedures current school officials have said were in place at the time.

"In 2004, the Newark Public Schools began a water system flushing program of all water sources used for drinking and food preparation," the district said in a recent release.

"The head custodian under the direction of the principal of each school was charged with ensuring this protocol is followed daily. Lead reduction filters were installed throughout the school district and high lead content fixtures were removed and replaced."

The district also shared memos sent out by administration in 2007 and 2008 that were addressed to "all principals" and other staff members outlining the district's "lead reduction protocols."

Steve Morlino, who served as the district's executive director of facilities between 1999 and 2013, told NJ Advance Media that although principals did not play a role in the remediation efforts that were in place at the time, they should have received a memo every year outlining what was taking place. The protocol, he said, included replacing water fountains, installing filters, and flushing water.

Baraka Friday criticized the procedure.

"I think they just looked at this as a facilities problem," he said. "They didn't see the need to express it to the leaders of the school."

The mayor has called the lead issue a "crisis of infrastructure" and has said that he will seek state assistance to overhaul the aging water delivery system.

While cautioning parents against panicking about the lead levels detected in Newark schools, Gov. Chris Christie said the ultimate cost of remediating the lead levels would fall to the state, which has controlled the district for 20 years.

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

Nutley Troop 147 seeks members for celebration

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Troop will celebrate its 95th anniversary.

boyscoutlogo.jpg 

NUTLEY -- Boy Scout Troop 147 invites all members of the troop, past and present, to join them in celebrating the Troop's 95th anniversary.

The Troop, which has had 14 Scoutmasters during the last 95 years and has minted 121 Eagle Scouts, will host an anniversary celebration April 30. The event will be held 1-4 p.m.at the Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley.

Past and present members wishing to attend should contact Troop147.BSA@verizon.net.

To submit Scout news send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Does stadium sale squash Newark's dreams of getting a casino?

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City leaders remain optimistic, despite the $23.5 million sale.

NEWARK -- When city and county leaders announced earlier this year that they were gunning for a casino in Newark, Riverfront Stadium - the former home to the now-defunct Newark Bears - quickly emerged as a potential location for the gambling complex.

That possibility seems out, now that city officials have confirmed the sale of the stadium to a non-casino developer.

Former Newark Bears stadium sold for $23.5M

The possibility of a casino anywhere in North Jersey is still up in the air - lawmakers approved only a week ago a ballot question asking voters whether or not they want it. But, should New Jersey residents vote in favor of expanding the state's casino scene beyond Atlantic City, the $23.5 million sale of the stadium last week has prompted some to question whether or not Newark would still be in the running.

The city sold the 6,000-seat stadium to a New York-based developer who plans to knock it down and build a high-rise tower. City officials say the plan is a good thing for Newark, and shouldn't impact on their hopes for a casino.

"There are several locations that folks are interested in" for potentially developing a casino, said Mayor Ras Baraka. Less than a year ago, Baraka was one of a string of local officials who spoke out in favor of developing a casino, entertainment complex, and hotel in the city.

"We are hopeful that the casino and entertainment complex might come, but we are going to move forward either way," he said Friday about the high-rise sale.

In addition to several other potential landing spots for a Newark casino, Baraka said Friday that Triangle Park - a development that the city broke ground on earlier this month after a decade of delays - could one day be home to the casino development.

Baye Adofo-Wilson, the city's Deputy Mayor for Economic and Housing Development, called the high-rise "the best use for (the Riverfront Stadium) site right now...we are not waiting for a casino to facilitate our economy."

But, Wilson did note that though there are other options for casino developers in the city, if the vote goes through and casino operators are still interested in the Riverfront Stadium property, "they'd have to talk to the (high-rise) developer about that."

Though details of exactly what the Lotus Equity Group plans to build at the stadium site are still being ironed out, officials say it will likely be a mixed-use development with as many as 1,500 residential apartment units and commercial spaces, including a possible hotel.

The stadium has been mostly vacant, save college and local games, since the Newark Bears franchise folded in 2013. But, it still carried a $2 million a year price tag for the taxpayers of Newark and Essex County.

County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, one of the biggest proponents of a casino in Newark, said the sale of the stadium eliminates that debt, making it the right move.

The development will "serve as a catalyst and anchor in the northern section of the city's downtown," he said.

"This dynamic project will contribute immensely to the economic revitalization of Essex County and Newark."

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

Newark: No lead problem in city water, despite councilman's call for testing

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At-Large Councilman Eddie Osborne said the city should hire an environmental consultant to test the city's water system Watch video

NEWARK — In light of the elevated lead levels found in the drinking water at more than two dozen Newark schools, a city councilman on Monday called for the municipality to conduct its own independent lead testing of the city's water system.

At-Large Councilman Eddie Osborne said the city should act fast and hire an environmental consultant to perform the study, saying Newark residents "cannot wait for a state or federal agency to return our phone calls for answers."

"We need our own consultants, our own access to data and solutions, and we need it now!" Osborne said in a news release.

"This is a significant public health issue," Osborne added. "That's why we need an environmental consultant to conduct extensive testing of our water system, public schools, and municipal buildings to determine the extent of the problem especially as it pertains to infrastructure."

An environmental consultant would provide the city with a list of recommendations and offer "the intel we need to make informed decisions about our future," Osborne said.

"There is no greater threat to our city than a compromised water system," he said.

But City Communications Director Frank Baraff on Monday said the city conducts regular testing and "there is not a lead problem with City water."

"I don't believe that Councilman Osborne intended to suggest that the City's water system needs to be tested for lead. We are regularly testing for lead at 50 sample points around the city and it has been established that there is not a lead problem with City water," Baraff said in a statement.

"The problem exists only within the schools where old lead pipes and lead soldered fixtures cause lead to leach into the water," Baraff added. "With regard to testing the water within the schools, that is entirely the responsibility of the state-controlled Newark Public Schools (NPS) and inquiries for reaction should be addressed to them."

Osborne's call for water testing comes as school officials are in the process of testing the drinking water at all district buildings after elevated lead levels were recently discovered at 30 schools.

The district has offered optional blood testing to parents interested in having their children tested for potential lead poisoning. A total of 130 students were tested last week when testing began at two Early Childhood School locations, according to district spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield.

The next round of students' testing will be available over the next three days at the following locations from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m and an educational presentation will take place between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.:

  • Tuesday: Belmont Runyon Elementary School, 1 Belmont Runyon Way
  • Wednesday: (New) Speedway Academies, 701 South Orange Avenue
  • Thursday: First Avenue Elementary School, 214 First Avenue

Whitfield said district officials are still developing a plan for additional testing. The district declined to comment on Osborne's call for independent water testing by the city.

Over the last two weeks, the state Department of Environmental Protection has said the Newark Water Department's source water is clean and safe to drink. In most cases where lead is found in drinking water, the lead enters through the water delivery system by leaching from either lead pipes, household fixtures containing lead, or lead solder, the department has said.

Newark officials also have said the city's water supply is safe.

At a March 9 press conference, Newark Director of Water and Sewer Utilities Andrea Adebowale said that all city water remained safe for all purposes, and that the issues at the schools appeared to have originated in sinks, fountains or piping in the mostly aging buildings.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

ECC professor to receive leadership award

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Akil Khalfani, director of Essex County College's Africana Institute and professor of social sciences, will receive The Chair Academy's 2016 International Exemplary Leadership Award.

ex0320college.JPGDr. Akil Khalfani, director of Essex County College's Africana Institute, will receive The Chair Academy's 2016 International Exemplary Leadership Award. 

NEWARK -- Akil Khalfani, director of Essex County College's Africana Institute and professor of social sciences, will receive The Chair Academy's 2016 International Exemplary Leadership Award.

Khalfani will be honored this week at a conference in San Antonio, Texas.

At the 25th annual International Conference, "Leading by Design," Khalfani will be honored for his ability to advance academic and administrative leadership.

In her nomination, Dean of Liberal Arts S. Aisha Steplight Johnson called Khalfani an "exceptional leader who is able to work with a diverse group of students, staff and faculty at Essex County College."

The conference provides an interactive forum for educational leaders at all levels, focusing on development of leadership capabilities as well as for those within the individual units.

To submit an achievement, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Mike Romano may be reached at mromano@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @mromano26. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Alleged confession allowed in 'nanny-cam' trial, judge says

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Jury selection begins on Tuesday in Shawn Custis's trial on charges in the 2013 home invasion attack Watch video

NEWARK -- At Shawn Custis's upcoming trial on charges in a 2013 home invasion attack in Millburn caught on a "nanny-cam," jurors may hear testimony that he allegedly admitted committing that offense during a recent altercation with two Essex County Sheriff's officers, a judge has ruled.

Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler on Monday said he would permit testimony about how Custis allegedly used an expletive and threatened a female sheriff's officer by saying he would "bash your face in like I did to that (woman) in Millburn."

The judge said he would allow that evidence, because it relates to the central issue in the case: the identity of the attacker seen in the "nanny-cam" video. After hearing testimony from the officer and her male partner, Wigler said he found they were credible and he was clearly convinced the incident had occurred.

"There would be no motive for either one of them to fabricate this incident," the judge said.

Jury selection in the trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The incident involving the officers allegedly occurred on March 9 while Custis, 45, of Newark, was in the holding cell area outside Wigler's courtroom. Before the alleged incident, Custis had appeared before Wigler for a hearing in the "nanny-cam" case.

According to the officers, Custis also said he was "already getting thirty years" and that he was not worried, and he spit in the officers' faces. Wigler said he would not permit those alleged details to be presented to the jury at the "nanny-cam" trial.

The judge also said the fact that Custis was in custody at the time of the alleged incident should not be revealed to the jury. Custis remains in custody at the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail.

For the alleged incident, Custis has been charged with two counts of throwing bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer and one count of terroristic threats, authorities said.

In the "nanny-cam" case, Custis is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft in connection with the June 21, 2013 incident.

Custis - who has a lengthy criminal record - is accused of breaking into the victim's house and kicking, punching and throwing the woman down the basement stairs as her 3-year-old daughter sat on the living-room couch. Her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.

Custis also stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence, authorities said.

A week after the incident, Custis was arrested as he was leaving the New York City apartment building of a then-girlfriend at the time.

Inside that woman's apartment, authorities later seized a pair of jeans belonging to Custis that allegedly contained the victim's blood. A DNA analysis of the jeans shows the victim's blood was on the jeans, authorities said.

The "nanny-cam" video does not clearly depict the assailant's face, and the victim identified another man as the possible culprit when she reviewed photos of Custis and other potential suspects, but four witnesses are expected to testify at the trial that they spoke with the police and identified Custis as the attacker in the video.

During Monday's hearing, Custis's attorney, John McMahon, argued the alleged statement to the sheriff's officer should be inadmissible and questioned the officer's credibility in light of how the officer claims she did not provoke Custis before he threatened her.

McMahon said it seems unlikely that Custis would make such an "unprovoked statement."

"It seems a little far-fetched," McMahon said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


Gang leader known as 'Half Dead' heads to prison in crackdown

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Jihad Coles will have to serve his federal sentence after he finishes serving time on state charges.

NEWARK -- The leader of a crack cocaine distribution ring in Newark will spend more than 14 years in prison, following his sentencing Monday in federal court on drug distribution charges, federal prosecutors said. 

Jihad Coles, 30, was sentenced to 176 months in prison, to be served after he completes a sentence he is serving on state charges. 

A member of the Grape Street Crips, Coles, also known as "Half Dead," signed a guilty plea in July that he conspired to distribute hundreds of grams of cocaine at the Mildred Terrell Home public housing complex in Newark, said the office of U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. 

He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas.

Feds charge alleged gang kingpin

Once he is finished with his prison term, Coles will be subject to five years of supervised release, Fishman's office said. 

In signing a guilty plea, Coles was spared a possible life sentence, the maximum that could have been handed down on the conspiracy charge. 

Coles was among a group of 50 alleged members of the Grape Street Crips who were charged with selling drugs, physical assaults and threatening witnesses in May 2015. 

The charges against Coles were the result of a long-running investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, the Newark Police Department and Essex County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Narcotics, Fishman said in a news release.

Over the course of the entire investigation, 71 defendants have been charged with federal and state charges, it said. 

Tim Darragh may be reached at tdarragh@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @timdarragh. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Fairfield man made hoax distress calls, cops say

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A Fairfield man has been accused of falsely reporting boaters in distress.

FAIRFIELD -- A local man has been charged with repeatedly making phony distress calls, twice sending marine and helicopter units to the Passaic River on a pointless search for victims, Chief of Police Anthony Manna said in a statement Monday.

Bell False Reports.jpgJoseph Bell (Fairfield police)  

Joseph Bell, 32, was arrested Monday following an investigation by Fairfield and State Police as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and charged with two counts of false public alarm. He was released pending a Superior Court appearance in Newark.

On Oct. 27 and again on March 15, Bell allegedly contacted the Coast Guard station in Staten Island via marine radio. In the October incident, Bell reported that a boat had capsized in the Passaic River in the Fairfield-Lincoln Park area, with an adult, three children and a dog in need of help, authorities said. Earlier this month, Bell allegedly reported a father and two children were injured on a boat.

In both cases, searches by the State Police and surrounding municipalities did not turn up any signs of victims. Also in both cases, only one party reported an emergency situation, Manna said.

"I would like to thank all those police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, state troopers and Coast Guard personnel who either responded to these false reports in order to assure that someone was not actually in need of help or helped to bring this individual to justice. We committed to finding the individual responsible and today we did," said Manna.

Tougher penalties for 'swatters' OK'd

"Hopefully this will serve as a message to others that law enforcement takes seriously, false reports and we will do whatever we can to track down those who take valuable resources away from the general public."

Responding agencies may also seek restitution, Manna added.

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

Newark students want answers about lead in schools' water

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Newark students are on spring break, but they can't relax knowing they have to return to schools where there are high levels of lead in the water.

Students at Weequahic High School in Newark weren't interested in convocation, a daily assembly that sets the educational tone for the day.

Instead, 200 of them were staging a silent protest on the gymnasium bleachers last Friday to get the attention of school district officials and building administrators.

They are upset and nervous about elevated levels of lead found in their school water - levels high enough to make the district shut down drinking fountains. The same thoughts likely resonate with students at 29 other Newark public schools, where the district also has shut off the fountains after reporting elevated levels of lead.

"The students don't have a voice in the building,'' said Marc Manasse, a 17-year-old junior.

The frustration, he said, follows a student protest last year on issues such as a lack of books, supplies and quality teachers. Now, they're dealing with lead in the water.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns   

What a way to kick off  spring break. They'll spend this week on edge, then return next Monday to an unknown situation.

Vice Principal Kelly Williams told the students she understood their concerns, that she is a Newark resident, too.

ymsphoto[19].JPGNewark students left to right, KryJuan Roberson of Thirteenth Avenue School; Vivian Peralta and Kiara Rozier, both of Barringer Academy of the Arts and Humanities. Higher than normal levels of lead have been reported at their schools and they want to know how the district is going to solve the health threat. They participate in the Youth Media Symposium, a program of the Abbott Leadership Institute, a Newark organization at Rutger University-Newark. The institute teaches them how to advocate for their education.  

She explained that she needed them to be in class, that PARCC assessment testing is around the corner and that they were missing valuable instruction.

The students reluctantly left after an hour, but a smaller group of 20 met that same day in the cafeteria with Brad Haggerty, a deputy assistant superintendent, who explained to them what was going on.

"We want students to feel informed,'' he said.

Haggerty told them that 10 locations at Weequahic were tested and high levels of lead were found in two places in the nurse's office. He said more testing would be conducted this week at their building and the district was opening five schools where students can be tested.

News of the lead problem surfaced March 9, when the school district and the state Department of Environmental Protection reported higher-than-normal levels of lead from annual testing.

City and school officials realize parents and students are concerned, but they also want them to know that the amount of lead detected in Newark public schools is not comparable to the dangerous level found in Flint, Michigan.

The students, however, are still uneasy and want an expert to talk about lead beyond the informational handouts given to them by administrators. They also want to know when the water will be turned on.

Memo to the district: The stored boxed water at the schools doesn't taste good. And that's not just from Weequahic students. Unfavorable reviews come from students at other schools. They said the bottled water being delivered has helped.

After the Weequahic students left the cafeteria, Marc Manasse, the unofficial student leader, stayed behind and talked further with Haggerty.

"He sounded concerned to work with us as a student body," Marc said. "I'm going to see what he does.''

MORE CARTER: Working to revive Newark's Woodland Cemetery

And while you do that, Marc, here's a suggestion: Talk to Vivian Peralta and Kiara Rozier. They're outspoken 16-year-old students at Barringer Academy of the Art and Humanities. High levels of lead were also found at their school, but they raise other issues that bother them - similar those at your school.

There are not enough textbooks. They don't want to just be taught how to take a test. It would be nice to have a librarian.

When the lead problem dropped on them, Kiara and Vivian were just as frustrated as you, Marc.

After school, you can find them at the Youth Media Symposium, a program of the Abbott Leadership Institute, a Newark organization at Rutgers University-Newark.

It teaches parents and students to advocate for their education. Needless to say, that's what Vivian and Kiara were doing last week when they signed up to speak at the school advisory board meeting.

"We need to have our voices heard,'' Kiara said. "The (students) don't know how much they could change if they would just speak up.'' 

KryJuan Roberson, an eighth-grader at Thirteenth Avenue School, wasn't at the meeting but he's just as vocal as his YMS buddies.

On the same day that school officials told his classmates about  lead in their drinking water, KryJuan posted a short video on social media that expressed his concern.

"If we don't say (anything), they'll just ignore us,'' he said.

Vivian said the ordeal is nerve wracking, knowing that she has to come back to school next week with no resolution to the problem.

"I'm scared to drink that water because, over a period of time, it will affect you,'' said Vivian, an 800-meter track team member who is worried because she consumed the water often during practice. "This is bad.''

The shock surrounding the lead in Newark schools is going to linger a while for Yolanda Johnson, who is founder of a parent organization.

Johnson, who has two children in affected schools, said parents and students are struggling to get a basic education that has now become more difficult with this health threat.

 "I'm sick and tired,'' she said. "It's like one thing after another.''

 It's definitely not a relaxing spring break.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL

The first-ever NJ.com girls basketball Top 50

Montclair photographer's work a global collaboration

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Artists from two countries work together to create singular images

Francisco Diaz is quietly intent, a guy having coffee in a pastry shop in suburban New Jersey. Yet in one deft move, he dons a hat and swiftly walks outside, suddenly a mysterious man of the world.

It will not surprise you that his art does the same, taking a common-enough scene and filling it with intrigue. What will surprise you is how he does it: In a real-time collaboration with another artist -- a woman who lives nearly 9,000 miles away.

The International Collaboration Project is the work of Diaz, of Montclair, and Deb Young, who lives in New Zealand. They are photographers. Their creations, each of which seems to be a singular image, are, in fact, the layering and integration of hundreds of photos. The result is intended as a complete storyboard and serves as a deliberate rebuke to the traditional notion of photography, which captures a moment in time. The goal, Diaz says, is a cinematic narrative.

It's an ambitious goal, to tell an entire story within the confines of a single frame. Their works have been described by critics as "disturbingly beautiful" and have won numerous national and international photography awards. A portfolio titled "The Playground Series" earned a coveted spot last  year at Soho Photo Gallery, in New York City, and the duo is represented by Susan Spiritus, of Susan Spiritus Gallery in California. Broader recognition and fame seem just around the corner, with Diaz talking about a possible documentary and book.

The Chase Diaz Photo"The Chase" is one of the photographs in a collection called "The Playground Series," created by New Zealander Deb Young and Francisco Diaz, who lives in Montclair.  

Diaz and Young have been working together for several years, but met for the first time in late December. Young flew to the States and the two artists spent time in Washington, D.C., working on their next project.

"Our virtual journey has really explored every aspect of our collaborative relationship to the point where meeting each other in person was like the icing on the cake," Young says. "Our creative drive has taken on a new energy and we're excited to continue our work together."

As a storyteller, albeit in such a compressed space, Diaz will tell you he's inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and the camera angles of Brian De Palma. Yet, he'll also say this: If the work seems ominous and anxious, if you perceive an unidentified threat, that's on you. The work is also upbeat and positive, and both Diaz and Young  endeavor to incorporate clues to point you in either direction. That hand on the tree at the playground may be the hand of a child abductor. It also could be the hand of a mom. Thus, each photo tells a story, but it's your story and will prompt your interpretation.

"What we're really saying is that it's all pretend," Diaz says. "It's all perception."

Radical as the work may be, how it's done is even more so. Thanks to modern technology and free international phone calling, Diaz and Young build the photo simultaneously. "We don't exist 10 years ago," Diaz says. Technology allows Diaz to see through the lens of Young's camera, and vice versa. Thanks to Skype, they talk every day. "My cellphone is set to her time. Because otherwise, you forget."

Their relationship began, as so many do, by serendipity. For Diaz, a casual suggestion by a friend to carry a digital camera and another casual suggestion to join Facebook led to the friendship between the two artists. Also for Young, a difficult illness that led to a promise to herself to pursue her art.

Diaz, who has a degree in fine arts, confesses to a bit of leftover condescension toward photography. As he was taught, photos are not fine art and photography is a secondary art form. "So, I had that in my head. Taking snaps was not enough."

To create a photo montage, however, is to cede control to the artist. "Most photographers are walking around looking for that unique moment," Diaz says. To establish a montage is a different philosophy. "We are creating that unique moment."

While a photo montage isn't a new concept, most modern artists use the form to create surreal or fantastic images. What is different about this collaboration is an eerie sense of reality, which itself is an ironic refutation of photography as truth.

Equally eerie is the element of suspense in each work.

"Our stories never end," Diaz says. "It's real life, nothing ever ends." 

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

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The 12 most expensive homes for rent in N.J.

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At the top end of the Garden State's rental market, $10,000 a month rent doesn't even crack into the top 12 costliest digs.

Property owners aren't the only New Jersey residents who may be able to call a mansion home.

Renters with enough resources to drop more on a monthly basis than what many tenants spend on their living quarters in a year can cozy up in a palatial estate in the Garden State. Indoor pools, wine cellars and home theaters are among the amenities found in these high-end digs. 

North Jersey lays claims to all of the costliest homes for rent in the state, including a property in Cresskill with an eight-seat theater and a rubber floored gym and a 10,000-square-foot home in Alpine with eight bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms.

You can also rent basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing's Cresskill mansion (which is also for sale at a recently reduced listing price of nearly $6.498 million). Or move into Eli Manning's Hoboken condo, which is available to rent (and to buy) too.

The 8 most expensive homes for rent in Philly 

By scouring homes listed for rent on Trulia, as well as NJMLS, as of Monday, we've compiled the 12 most expensive rentals in the state. Seasonal rentals were excluded. (Here's what $1,000 a day rents you along the Jersey Shore.)

Think $10,000 a month is a lot to pay for rent every month? Expect to pay more than that to move into any of the homes featured in the gallery above. 

Erin O'Neill may be reached at eoneill@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LedgerErin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

East Orange resident honored by county

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Naturi Naughton was presented with the 2016 Althea Gibson Leadership Award at the county's Annual Women's History Month Program at the Essex County Hall of Records on March 9.

ex0320award.jpgEssex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., (third from left) presented the 2016 Essex County Althea Gibson Leadership Award to Naturi Naughton, (second from left) singer, songwriter and actress currently appearing in the Starz drama "Power." With the County Executive are Assembly Speaker Emeritus Sheila Oliver (left) and Essex County Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake. 

EAST ORANGE -- Naturi Naughton was presented with the 2016 Althea Gibson Leadership Award at the county's Annual Women's History Month Program at the Essex County Hall of Records on March 9.

Naughton, a resident of East Orange, is a singer, songwriter and actress currently appearing in the Starz drama "Power." She is also known for her performances as Lil Kim in the film "Notorious" and her role in the remake of the film "Fame."

The Annual Essex County Althea Gibson Leadership Awards are dedicated to the memory of the late professional tennis legend, who was the first African-American to win Wimbledon. She also played on the LPGA tour.

To submit an achievement, please send an email to essex@starledger.com.

Mike Romano may be reached at mromano@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @mromano26. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.


Listen: Robo-call with lead testing info mistakenly sent to Newark parents

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An automated voice message sent to district parents Monday in connection with the elevated levels of lead found found at district schools was sent by mistake, officials say.

NEWARK -- An automated voice message sent to district parents Monday evening in connection with the elevated levels of lead found in drinking water at 30 district schools was sent by mistake, a district spokeswoman said. 

The message outlines blood testing services provided by the district to the families of children attending the affected schools, according to audio obtained by NJ Advance Media.

While intended for the parents of children at the 30 affected schools, the message was instead sent to families district-wide due to an error in the calling software, said spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield. 

A second voice message alerting parents that the first was sent in error was issued to parents Tuesday morning, she added.

The mistake comes as school officials are in the process of testing the drinking water at all district buildings. At this stage in the process, Whitfield said there's no indication that the water contamination extends beyond the 30 schools already identified as having elevated levels of lead.

The district has offered optional blood testing to parents interested in having their children tested for potential lead poisoning. A total of 130 students were tested last week when testing began at two Early Childhood School locations, district officials said.

The next round of students' testing will be available over the course of the next week.

In the wake of the discovery of the lead contamination, at-large Newark Municipal Councilman Eddie Osborneon on Monday called for independent lead testing of the city's water system.

City Communications Director Frank Baraff on Monday said the city conducts regular testing and "there is not a lead problem with City water."

Over the last two weeks, the state Department of Environmental Protection has said the Newark Water Department's source water is clean and safe to drink.

In most cases where lead is found in drinking water, the lead enters through the water delivery system by leaching from either lead pipes, household fixtures containing lead, or lead solder, the department has said.

Staff reporter Bill Wichert contributed to article

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

27-year-old man killed in Newark shooting

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Officials have identified the victim shot-to-death Monday morning on Schley Street as a 27-year-old city man.

police lights file photo.jpg(File photo) 

NEWARK -- Officials have identified the victim shot-to-death Monday morning on Schley Street as a 27-year-old city man.

Jerome T. Brown was gunned down at approximately 9:30 a.m., said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.

Newark police responding to the scene found Brown outdoors suffering multiple gunshot wounds, Carter said.

Medical personnel transported Brown to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:57 a.m., Carter said.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/03/grape_street_crips_member_sentenced_for_selling_cr.html

Additional details of the shooting have not yet been released.

A motive for the shooting has yet to be determined, and no arrests have been made, Carter said.

An investigation into the incident by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force is ongoing, Carter said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

'Justice was served': Mother found guilty in daughter's death

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Krisla Rezireksyon Kris was convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 8-year-old daughter Watch video

NEWARK -- With her hands behind her back, Krisla Rezireksyon Kris stood on Tuesday morning in a Newark courtroom, her head bowed, and showed little emotion as the jury handed down its verdict.

Nearly five years after her 8-year-old daughter, Christiana Glenn, was found dead in the family's Irvington apartment in May 2011, Rezireksyon Kris was convicted of aggravated manslaughter in the girl's killing. She was acquitted of a murder charge.

Rezireksyon Kris also was found guilty of numerous charges related to abusing Christiana and her two younger siblings.

The verdict came after days of intense deliberations that one juror said included contentious debates over every charge, sleepless nights and "a lot of soul-searching."

"A lot of tears and a lot of shouting," said the juror, who declined to provide his name, as he was leaving the courthouse on Tuesday. "I slept about two hours last night."

"We wanted to make sure it was right," the juror added. "It just took a while to really duke it out and make sure that we did it right."

With the verdict, the jurors found Rezireksyon Kris starved and beat the three children, withheld medical care from them and left them home alone. Her attorneys had argued Rezireksyon Kris was under the spell of a pastor, but the jury ultimately held her responsible for the children's broken bones and emaciated bodies.

In addition to aggravated manslaughter, Rezireksyon Kris, 34, was convicted of 16 charges of endangering the welfare of a child and two aggravated assault charges.

Rezireksyon Kris was found not guilty of seven child endangerment charges, three criminal restraint charges, three aggravated assault charges and one count each of conspiracy and hindering.

Her sentencing is scheduled for May 20 before Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin. Rezireksyon Kris faces up to 30 years in state prison on the aggravated manslaughter charge alone and additional prison time on the other charges, authorities said.

Charges are still pending against Rezireksyon Kris's co-defendant, Myriam Janvier, 28, who also lived in the apartment and is expected to be tried separately at a later date.

Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Simonetti, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Boswick-Lyons, said in a statement: "It is clear that the jurors worked diligently during their deliberations. The State believes that this is a just and fair verdict."

"While this will never bring the decedent back, it will hopefully provide some comfort to the surviving two siblings," Simonetti added.

Rezireksyon Kris's attorneys could not be reached for comment.

The long-running case began on May 22, 2011, when Christiana was found dead in the family's Chancellor Avenue apartment. A medical examiner has determined the girl died from severe malnutrition and an untreated broken femur.

Her siblings -- then-7-year-old Christina and then-6-year-old Solomon -- were starved and sustained fractures that went untreated, authorities said. Authorities also said the three children were tied to a radiator.

As forms of punishment, Christina has said the women would hit the children with a belt, a brush and a cord, and the children had to hold books above their heads and kneel on metal grates from a stove.

At the center of the trial was the issue of Rezireksyon Kris's state of mind at the time of the alleged offenses.

For her to be convicted of murder, prosecutors had to prove she acted purposely or knowingly. The lesser-included offense of aggravated manslaughter does not require that knowing mental state, but requires that Rezireksyon Kris recklessly caused Christiana's death "under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life."

Rezireksyon Kris's attorneys argued that based on an examination by Joel Morgan, a clinical neuropsychologist, she suffered from "diminished capacity," meaning she had a mental defect that prevented her from forming a knowing mental state.

Based on her overall IQ score of 67, Morgan found Rezireksyon Kris suffered from "mild mental retardation." Her attorneys claimed that condition made her more susceptible to the pastor's influence as a member of his Christian ministry.

In closing statements, one of Rezireksyon Kris's attorneys, Aarin Williams, said the pastor influenced the women to follow a strict diet with the children and use natural remedies to treat their injuries. Williams said the pastor placed Janvier in the family's home and she started hitting the children.

The pastor took advantage of Rezireksyon Kris's vulnerable nature, and she mistakenly followed his lead, Williams said.

"This was not a murder," Williams told the jurors. "It was a mistake."

But Simonetti told the jury in her closing statement that Rezireksyon Kris was responsible for the "systematic abuse" of her children. She argued Rezireksyon Kris acted knowingly and repeatedly lied to the police.

Simonetti noted how Rezireksyon Kris lied to the police at the apartment when she said her two younger children were at a friend's house in Elizabeth. The children were soon found in another room at the apartment.

"It was not the pastor's hand that lashed these children. There is no evidence in this case that he did," Simonetti said. "She consciously choose to contribute and to do these things with her own hand to her children."

The jury began its deliberations on the afternoon of March 15 and then deliberated for four full days before notifying Ravin at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday that they had reached a decision.

As he was leaving the courthouse, the juror said the deliberations were difficult due to the mix of issues in the case, including Rezireksyon Kris's mental capacity, religion and the nature of Eastern and Western medicines.

"There was debate over every single charge, every single charge, because this wasn't straightforward," the juror said.

Another juror, who declined to provide his name, said as he was leaving the courthouse that the deliberations were tough, but the jurors were satisfied with their final decision.

"It was hard," he said. "Nobody got their way, but we think that justice was served."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

75-year-old shot girlfriend in the buttocks, cops say

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The man shot the woman after an argument in a Montclair apartment, police said.

Montclair Police.JPGPolice arrested the man Sunday. (File photo) 

MONTCLAIR -- Police have arrested a 75-year-old man who they said shot his girlfriend in her township apartment after an argument.

Police responded to the William Street apartment at about 1:05 a.m. Sunday after a passerby reported hearing a popping sound and a woman screaming, Montclair police said. Responding officers found a 51-year-old woman who had been shot in the buttocks one time inside the apartment, authorities said.

By 10:35 a.m. the same day, Edward Thompson, 75, also of Montclair, voluntarily surrendered to police, authorities said. Thompson was arrested on aggravated assault with a weapon and various weapons possession charges, police said.

Police confirmed Tuesday that Thompson and the woman were in a "dating relationship." Though police said the shooting occurred during an argument between the two, they did not release additional details about what prompted the argument.

The woman was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital, where she was treated, police said. As of Monday afternoon, she remained in stable condition, they said.

Thompson is being held on $100,000 bail.

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

Jury selection begins in trial of accused 'nanny-cam' attacker

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Shawn Custis, 45, of Newark, is facing attempted murder and related charges in the 2013 incident

NEWARK -- Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of a man charged with beating a Millburn woman in a 2013 home invasion attack caught on a "nanny-cam."

Shawn Custis, 45, of Newark, is accused of breaking into the victim's home on June 21, 2013 and kicking, punching and throwing the woman down the basement stairs as her 3-year-old daughter sat on the living-room couch. Her 18-month-old son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, authorities said.

Authorities said Custis also stole various jewelry items and a cell phone from the residence. He is facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, robbery, burglary, criminal restraint and theft.

When Custis was arrested a week later while leaving the New York City apartment building of a then-girlfriend, authorities seized a pair of bloody jeans belonging to Custis in the woman's apartment. Authorities have said a DNA analysis of the jeans shows the victim's blood was on the jeans.

Due to Custis's lengthy criminal record, Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler has previously said Custis could be sentenced to 40 years in state prison if he is convicted at the trial.

The long-awaited trial comes after Custis has lost a series of pre-trial motions over roughly the last month.

On Feb. 19, Wigler denied Custis's motion to prevent the jeans from being presented as evidence at the trial. Less than three weeks later, the judge ruled on March 9 that prosecutors may present four witnesses to testify at the trial about how they spoke with the police and identified Custis as the attacker in the "nanny-cam" video.

That testimony is a critical part of the state's case, because the video does not clearly depict the assailant's face, and the victim identified another man as the possible culprit when she reviewed photos of Custis and other potential suspects.

But in the latest twist in the case, prosecutors also will be able to present evidence at the trial that Custis allegedly admitted to committing the home invasion attack during a recent altercation with two Essex County Sheriff's officers.

On Monday, Wigler said he would permit testimony about how Custis allegedly used an expletive and threatened a female sheriff's officer on March 9 by saying he would "bash your face in like I did to that (woman) in Millburn."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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