Five young area classical instrumentalists have been named winners in the 2016 Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition, sponsored by the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.

Winners of the 2016 Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition: (from left) Violinist Ania Filochowsa; violinist Kenta Nomura; saxophonist Thomas Kurtz; Dr. Robert W. Butts, conductor and music director of The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey; cellist Chase Park; cellist Daniel Hamin Go; and Lisa Young, Esq., vice president of the Orchestra's Board of Directors and chairperson of the competition. 

MONTCLAIR -- Five young area classical instrumentalists have been named winners in the 2016 Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition, sponsored by the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.

Saxophonist Thomas Kurtz, a 21-year-old from Montclair, was the second-place winner and received a $500 prize for his performance of "Concertino da Camera, Movement 1" by Jacques Ibert.

Kurtz was edged out by 17-year-old cellist Chase Park of Englewood Cliffs, who received a $1,000 award and an opportunity to appear with the orchestra in its annual Summer Music Festival for his first-place finish.

Violinist Ania Filochowska, 21, came in third and took home $250 for her "Violin Concerto, Movement 1" by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky.

Cellist Daniel Hamin Go, 19, and violinist Kenta Nomura, 16, were named first and second honorable mention, respectively. They each received $100 cash awards.

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.

A rare golden eagle is released back into the wild. Watch video

MONTCLAIR -- In a blink of an eye, a rehabilitated golden eagle takes flight and disappears into the trees.

With the help of staff and volunteers from Toms River Avian Care and the Raptor Trust in Millington, a rare visitor to New Jersey is back in the wild and likely heading north toward Canada.

It was February when this golden eagle was found in a snare trap by a hunter in South Jersey. The bird became unconscious as it struggled to free itself, tightening the wire around its neck. The hunter removed the snare from the bird and brought it to Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township. It was moved to Toms River Avian Care and then later treated at the Raptor Trust in Millington.

The eagle remained at the Trust for about five weeks until it was given a clean bill of health and cleared for release. The bird was brought to a site near the Montclair Hawk Lookout, a sanctuary of the New Jersey Audubon Society at the first Watchung Mountain in Montclair.

Peregrine falcon released after recovery 

"It can find its way along the ridges and up the Hudson River from here," according to Chris Soucy, director of the Raptor Trust. "Its got a good shot to get to where it needs to go."

Following a series of measurements and blood work, the eagle was fitted with a GPS transmitter -- the first time ever for this bird species in New Jersey. With the transmitter, biologists can track the bird and learn more about where it goes and how it moves.

"This bird in particular has the newest duty cycles, said Michael Lanzone, CEO of Cellular Tracking Technologies. "So we actually know the bird's behavior now too. We'll know, is it hunting, is it perched, is it preening. Exactly what it's doing and when."

With a count of 1 - 2 - 3, the eagle was hoisted into the air and on its way.

"It's a good day to release any bird," said Chris Soucy, Director of the Raptor Trust. "But when you can release an endangered species or an uncommon species like this golden eagle, it's really pretty touching."

 

Andre Malok may be reached at amalok@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndreMalok. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

That may happen, now that Newark's archdiocese has lost its highly anticipated new leader. Watch video

NEWARK — Following the unexpected Minnesota placement of the presumed future archbishop of New Jersey's largest archdiocese, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers could now remain in his post past age 75 — the canon-law age at which bishops must submit their resignations.

This isn't "unusual," according to religious experts.

According to canon law, bishops are asked to submit their resignation at age 75, but it is up to the pope to determine when he accepts that resignation. But, Newark Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness said, bishops can no longer be active in their posts after age 80.

N.J. Catholics 'devastated' after Archbishop's successor moves west

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, a well-regarded canon lawyer with degrees from Harvard and Columbia universities and ample experience in Rome, was named Coadjutor Archbishop of the Newark Archdiocese in September 2013. This essentially meant he was set to succeed Myers when he turned 75 in July.

Instead, Pope Francis surprised members of the Newark Archdiocese Thursday when he announced he was appointing Hebda Archbishop in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. In June, in light of a sex scandal that rocked the Twin City Archdiocese, Hebda was named the interim leader, but he said at the time that he thought the post was temporary.

Goodness said he didn't want to speculate on whether or not a replacement for Myers would be found before July.

However, he said, there have been several bishops who stayed active in their posts past age 75.

In March, the pope named Bishop-Elect James Checchio the new Archbishop of Metuchen to replace Archbishop Paul Bootkoski, who turned 75 last July, he said. Checchio will be installed as the new Archbishop of Metuchen in May.

"It's not an unusual situation," Goodness said. "(Several years ago) Bishop Frank Rodimer of Paterson remained after he had submitted his letter of resignation for close to a year before Bishop Arthur Serratelli was named and installed as the bishop."

According to Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese, a senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, Pope Paul VI put in the age requirement for bishops' resignations.

Reese added that, because the pope appointed a coadjutor to Newark in the first place, it seems "highly unlikely" Myers will be allowed to stay in place long after turning 75.

"I would expect a new archbishop by the end of the summer, or certainly by the end of the year," he said.

Kean University Associate Professor of History Christopher Bellitto, an expert on papal affairs, said "75 is a good, long age."

For popes, however, there is no age limit for the job, Bellitto said. He emphasized that this rule for priests and bishops does not mean they cease to "be" priests or bishops.

"If you're ordained, you never stop being a priest or a bishop. What you lose is your job," he explained. "You have to resign."

Hebda's new appointment, Bellitto said, was truly shocking because he had been name coadjutor in Newark. That usually guarantees "immediate right of succession," he said.

Typically, this title is granted in situations where the archbishop's health is ailing, but with the "significant problems in the Archdiocese of Newark, they were looking for a seamless transition," Bellitto noted.

Hebda was brought to Newark three years ago, after Myers faced serious criticism for his handling of a priest who was charged with groping a boy.

Last June, Hebda was assigned to Minnesota a week after prosecutors criminally charged the archdiocese of the Twin Cities with systemically failing to protect children from a sexually abusive priest.

The pope's decision on Thursday to move Hebda out west has shocked New Jersey, where Catholics bemoaned the pope's decision.

"Hebda has the reputation for being a fixer. He comes in and fixes problems, and that's why he was sent to Newark. A bigger problem came along," Bellitto said.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It began with a gift from Bamberger's

The explosion of pink buds and their floral scent bombs are just days away at Essex County's Branch Brook Park.

The cherry blossom trees will flower over a period of three weeks - 5,000 in all, in 18 different varieties - in hues from snow white to vibrant pink.

The annual Branch Brook Cherry Blossom Festival is a yearly celebration of spring, but it began 40 years ago as testament to hope and renewal.

It was 1976 - less than a decade after the 1967 riots - when one particular Newarker wanted to restore a little piece of beauty from her childhood and bring some happy pink back to the worn and weary park.

She is Kathleen P. Galop, who grew up in the North Ward and Forest Hill, and became a corporate lawyer for Prudential and a historic preservation expert.

"Kathleen Galop started the Cherry Blossom Festival," said Dan Salvante, Essex County's parks and recreation director. "She made it happen."

"I don't like to tie everything to 1967," Galop said. "But I thought celebrating the blossoms would be something positive. It would give the city a sense of renewal."

There were fewer than a 1,000 trees then, but the census now stands at 5,000.  Since taking office in 2002, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo has been determined to have Branch Brook overtake Washington, D.C., as the cherry blossom tree capital of the nation, and it has.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

The often-repeated assertion that the 360-acre park has more cherry blossom trees than Washington, D.C., appears to be true; the official site website of the National Cherry Blossom Festival says there are 3,750 trees in the Tidal Basin area, where 700,000 people come to see the blooms each spring.

"To me, it's all about quality life, civic pride and economic development," DiVincenzo said. "We get 100,000 people for our Cherry Blossom Festival. They come here, they eat in restaurants, they spend money."

Like Galop, DiVincenzo grew up with a love of the park and the trees.

"We didn't go on vacations," DiVincenzo said. "Vacation was in Branch Brook Park. We'd take pictures by the cherry trees."

But the cherry blossom trees weren't always part of the Branch Book Park allure. They weren't even included in the original Olmsted plan.

Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape design, favored open meadows and clusters of natural forest, not ornamental trees. His sons followed that vision when they were commissioned to design the Essex County park in 1900.

The result rivaled their father's greatest creations - Central Park in Manhattan, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and other magnificent urban landscapes from Mount Royal Park in Montreal to the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington.

It was Caroline Bamberger Fuld - yes, that Bamberger - who introduced the cherry blossom trees to Branch Brook Park in the 1920s. During a trip to Japan, she became enamored with the beauty of the robust, flowering trees. When she returned home, she donated more than 2,000 to the park.

Bamberger, who started the department store chain with her brother Louis, "wanted Newark to have more cherry blossom trees than Washington," said Galop, who wrote the labor-intensive applications for the park to be placed on the national and state historic registries. "I think Washington had 2,000 so she ordered 2,001."

Bamberger brought in so many trees, the park had to be extended north of Heller Parkway into Belleville. The Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Visitors Center is Newark in this northern part of the park.

"The trees are generally short-lived, with a life expectancy of 40 years, but we still have some from the original collection," said Paul Cowie, the arborist who manages the Branch Brook cherry blossom tree collection.

Those trees, which Cowie called "monsters," are the thick-trunked, wide-wingspan varieties in the northern part of the park near the visitors center.

Two years after DiVincenzo took office, he ordered an official count of the Branch Brook cherry blossom collection. The number was surprisingly low.

"When we finished the inventory, there were only 987 trees left," said Cowie. "That spurred the restoration of the population."

With the help of the Branch Brook Alliance, a park "friends group" of corporate and private donors, the county was able to go on a cherry blossom tree-buying spree. The latest phase was a $651,000 expenditure for 1,100 trees last year.

"This is the seventh phase of the plantings," Cowie said last week as a crew put in a fresh delivery of 100 trees, to replace some of the 1,100 that didn't thrive.

DiVincenzo said the magic of the Branch Brook park collection is not just in the number but in the variety.

"We have more varieties than anybody," he said.

Eighteen, to be exact, said Cowie.

They range from the early-blooming Okame, which are popping their bright pink buds now, to the late-blooming Kwanzan, which burst big, dark pink double flowers.

The park has abundant white blossoms of the Snow Goose variety, and many weeping trees called Higans, which are most popular with tourists, because the branches arc and  cascade to the ground.

Perhaps the best part, though, is the trees have not disrupted the original Olmsted design. They decorate the park, not overpower it.

"I think what's been done there is in keeping with the parks natural setting and beauty," Galop said.

(The Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Festival runs from April 9 to 24 this year. For information call (973) 268-3500 or visit essexcountynj.org)

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.

Troop has produced more than 350 Eagle Scouts.

Montclair councilman Bill Hurlock, Troop 12 Scouts C.J. Kaloudis, Jack DeSantis, Caleb Desmith, Ben Beinish, Max Koep and Montclair mayor Robert Jackson. Hurlock presented the Scouts with a proclamation in honor of them earning their Eagle Award.Boy Scout Troop 12 

MONTCLAIR -- Members of Boy Scout Troop 12 recently honored five of their own for earning their Eagle Awards during a ceremony held at St. James Church in Montclair. Honored were Scouts Ben Beinish, Jack DeSantis, Caleb DeSmith, C.J. Kaloudis and Max Koep.

To earn the Eagle Award, the Boy Scouts' highest honor, a Scout must be active with a troop, earn a minimum of 21 merit badges, assume a position of leadership in a troop and complete a service project that benefits the community.

For his project, Beinish built and installed benches, a compost bin, cold frames -- which are used to protect plants in winter - and birdhouses at the Watchung School. He is a junior at Montclair High School.

DeSantis, who is a senior at St. Peter's Preparatory School, created a compost area in the Rose Garden at Brookdale Park.

DeSmith, a senior at Montclair High School, built a ceremonial fire pit at the Van Vleck House and Gardens.

Kaloudis built a display case that holds historical information about the World War I Memorial at St. James Church. He is a junior at Montclair High School.

Koep, a Montclair High School senior, created a seating area around a flag pole in front of Hillside Elementary School that included a flowerbed, bench and a plaque honoring the late Alan Elder, who was a teacher at the school.

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

The couple decided to do some of the work themselves to reduce renovation costs

N.J. Home Makeover is a new feature on NJ.com. 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.

The neighborhood around their Verona home of 12 years was changing.

High-density residential developments seemed to be springing up all around the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house where Barbara Bochese and Steve Danieli had raised their three boys into men. Their oldest son was married and out on his own, and the second would soon be engaged.

"We saw that our family was shrinking, and we felt it was time to make a change," Bochese said. Also prompting them was a $600 property tax increase and an unsuccessful neighborhood effort to prevent bright lights planned with renovation of the nearby high school football stadium.

With the idea that their two younger sons would soon be out on their own, the couple put their house on the market and began to shop around for condos. Not one of them felt right. "We like owning a home," Bochese said. "We liked living in our own space."

Thinking ahead to their older years, they envisioned a smaller, ranch-style house that would offer "one-floor living" with no stairs to climb. "We knew we wanted it to be our retirement home."

The renovation

Their house sold in the summer of 2014, and they moved into a Nutley rental owned by Bochese's sister while they continued to look for a new home. They liked Roseland, because of the more reasonable taxes and its proximity to their work (she owns a graphics and communications company, he manages theater at Bergen County Academies).

After a yearlong search, they finally found the place, and it was horrible. The 1950s ranch house had been a rental property. Its roof leaked, the electrical wiring was seriously dated, and the windows were in such bad shape that one could easily push them out of their frames. "It was in deplorable condition," Bochese said. "The house was just neglected for 11 whole years."

It also had more land than they had wanted, and they hadn't expected a house with the benefits and responsibilities of an in-ground swimming pool. But the price was right and it had something that spoke to them despite its troubles.

"When we walked into the house, we knew we could turn it into our home," Bochese said. "We could see that we could turn it into an open-floor-plan house." While distressed, the windows were large and in interesting shapes. "It just felt open and airy to us, and that's what we really wanted."

As soon as they closed on the property, an architect and a general contractor were called to the scene. The couple knew they wanted to cut costs on what would obviously be a major renovation, and so their project became a sort of hybrid, with their family taking on certain manageable jobs while leaving the bulk of the work to the pros.

"We did all the demolition," Bochese said, with a hint of pride in the revelation. "It was a family affair, having three sons and a daughter-in-law to help. My daughter-in-law swung a mean sledgehammer," she added with a laugh.

The general contractor advised the family on safely gutting the house while work began in other areas. After having purchased the house last July, there was the long process of securing the necessary municipal permits. Work began last September, and by Dec. 21, enough had been done for them to move in while work continued on a 96-square-foot addition. When construction was complete, the family decided to do the finishing work themselves.

They will paint all the walls and baseboards, and they'll select complementary art and decorative accessories as they go along. "There's no designer here," Bochese said.

With the exception of the master bathroom, every area of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house was renovated. They've added the exterior landscaping to their DIY list, and they're even learning to maintain the pool on their own.

"This house is going to be our house," Bochese said. "This is where we're going to spend time with our grandkids."

What they renovated

The entire house (except one bathroom), including the heating and cooling system, siding, windows and roof. "We bought an "as is" house, a former rental property that was neglected."

Who did the work

Endres Home Builders of Nutley was the general contractor, MBA Cabinetry Studio of Bellville installed the kitchen cabinets, Evolution Electric of Bloomfield upgraded the electrical system and designed the lighting. Countertops are from First Class Granite in Fairfield.

How long it took

Seven months because the addition required a variance permit

What it cost

$120,000

Where they splurged

On semi-custom cabinetry and all new stainless steel appliances

How they saved

The asked their contractor, 'What can we do to save money?' They were advised they could do the demolition themselves. They also got two or three quotes for everything including plumbing, heating, tile and electric.

What they did themselves

They did all the demolition and also the painting and landscaping

What they like most

The enlarged kitchen

What they'd have done differently.

"Work with the architect to come up with another floor plan that would have not required a variance," Bochese said. "There was too much wasted time, paperwork and stress to get a variance for such a small addition which pushed a lot of the work out three to four months."

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

"Clef's back, Clef wants to have fun again," says the revered New Jersey rapper and former Fugee

How old was Quincy Jones when he first collaborated with Michael Jackson?

Wyclef Jean waits for an answer, in response to a prodding of own age -- the dauntless Jersey-bred emcee is 46 -- and the role music still plays in his life.

Jones, an industry behemoth whose chameleonic career Jean has intently studied -- was 45 when he first took on Jackson's 1979 smash "Off The Wall."  

"See, I'm just getting started, baby!" Jean exclaims in a recent interview, noting that when he won his first Grammy Award in 1997, as a member of the Fugees and orchestrator of the group's seminal LP "The Score," Jones assured Jean he hadn't even begun his climb.

The luminary had it right. Twenty years removed from "The Score," an album forged almost entirely in Jean's uncle's basement in East Orange, the artist has carved a career defined by its versatility and subsequent high-profile successes -- his ill-fated dip into Haitian politics notwithstanding.  

Jean's raspy collaboration with Colombian pop star Shakira, for 2006's "Hips Don't Lie," reached No. 1 in 55 countries, and his producer's credit on Santana's titanic "Supernatural" linked him to the record's Album of the Year Grammy Award in 2000.  

Shakira and Wyclef Jean perform "Hips Don't Lie" at the 2007 Grammys. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) 

Now, ahead of Jean's first solo album in seven years -- most recent was 2009's confessional concept LP "From the Hut, to the Projects to the Mansion" -- as well as an anticipated Tuesday performance at the Brooklyn Bowl, the self-described "man behind the music" speaks vibrantly as he draws the curtain on his new act "Carnival 3."

"This album is inspired by 1994, all the way to 2020 -- I'm always ahead," Jean boasts. "If you're a lover of hip-hop, you know I always bring you the world music of hip-hop."

He speaks of the Caribbean and reggae influences he's injected and inflected into virtually every release since the Fugees, and of the blaring, party brass of his new single "My Girl."

He adds: "Those horns make you say 'okay, Clef's back, Clef wants to have fun again.'" 

"My Girl" will be incorporated into Jean's Brooklyn set -- the second of two concerts marking his first borough gigs in a decade -- though he has no idea where it fits in.

"My secret is I never have a set list," he says. "My whole performance is based off of energy. As humans, we are all just vibrations ... all I do is celebrate that vibration to you and if you give it back to me, then we're going to have a magical night. You're gonna be on every drug you can possibly be on, without being on them."

"Carnival III," the official title of a project deemed "Clefication" this time last year, is planned for a fall release on New York indie label Heads Music, and like its acclaimed precursors, allows space for his resume of talents -- rapping, singing, instrumentation, production -- plus a slew of featured artists, including Emeli Sande, Pusha T, DJ Khaled and even Daryl Hall.

"There's people who want to hear me rap on the album, I'm not gonna let them down," he says.  "And people will want to hear where I left off with Shakira, I'm not gonna let them down either."

Of course, the eclectic artist is eager to discuss his new projects, but as a man who's spent most of his last three decades around North Jersey -- he now lives in Saddle River with his wife and daughter -- Jean is equally content in doling out local memories, of days competing in "the best talent shows ever" at Vailsburg High School in Newark, and faculty who recognized the teen's abilities early on.

"My first manager was my gym teacher, how crazy is that?" he says.   

Jean recalls sneaking into surrounding high schools' lunch periods to battle-rap other students, and according to cocksure rhymer, he usually won with ease.

But Jean admits one defeat, at the hands of a rival who spun his unorthodox living situation into verbal ammunition.

Wyclef Jean's senior portrait from Vailsburg High School, class of '88. 

When Jean was 15, his father purchased a partially burned funeral home on South Orange Avenue in Newark, with plans of building the area's first English-Creole bilingual church on the lot. But while construction was taking place, Jean's family was forced to live in the charred home's basement.

"We were with the coffins, the embalming fluid," he says. "You know that show 'Six Feet Under'? That was us in the hood."

"We used to be so ashamed," he continues, "I would look out the window and have to let all of the kids walk first to school, then me and my brothers would sneak out and jump the fence, so no one would see us. We never wanted people to know where we lived."

But a challenger bent on embarrassing Jean caught wind of his homelife.

"He's rapping and says 'Clef is in the Twilight Zone, because he lives in a burnt funeral home,'" Jean says. "All the kids start running, laughing, and I'm like 'come back, come back!'"

Jean graduated from Vailsburg in 1988, and several years later relocated to East Orange -- his uncle's basement on drug-riddled South Clinton Street -- and with just a VFX keyboard purchased by his cousin, began his career in earnest.

After the Fugees' 1994 debut LP "Blunted On Reality" wasn't commercially successful, Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel spent long hours down in Jean's basement-turned-studio in 1995, molding "The Score" and what would become the best-selling rap album to that point.  

"It was like being an inventor, like Steve Jobs decides he's going to go in his garage with a group of dudes and create something," Jean says. "I knew it was a vibe, and we knew the block was gonna love it, but we always said, we wanted to be a hip-hop band, not just rapping. So we started bringing in our instruments and that set us apart."

Critics praised "The Score" for its sonic crossroads of rap, R&B and reggae -- a testament to Jean's Haitian roots -- as well as its astute ghetto commentary.

"We wanted to bring a different perspective of the hood," Jean says. "There's really no difference between N.W.A. and the Fugees. As authors, we painted differently. On "The Beast," when we're saying 'on the town the beast is loose,' we're saying the same thing as them saying 'F--- the Police.'

"We wanted to do something where the neighborhood would feel like their voice was being represented," he says. "At the time, as still today, police brutality was a part of it. That's why 'The Beast' is still powerful."

Twenty years later, the passion to propel his viewpoint across the globe continues to burns hot.

"I'm still on my warmup," Jean assures. "I'm excited about is working with a label that's going to bring out the next Erykah Badu, the next Lauryn Hill, the next Beyonce. It's the youth that gives me my energy."

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

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating.

NEWARK -- A 37-year-old man died early Sunday after a domestic dispute on 12th Avenue, authorities said.

The cause of death is being determined by an autopsy, Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The dispute took place at about 11:30 p.m. He was hospitalized and pronounced dead at University Hospital at 2:55 a.m.

Officials have not released his identity yet. The prosecutor's office is investigating.

Correction: The man killed was 37 years old. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office initially identified him as 51.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Two passersby helped pull the men out of the truck.

NEWARK -- Two people were hurt when a moving truck drove off an overpass on the New Jersey Turnpike, News 12 New Jersey reported.

The driver lost control heading northbound on the Turnpike Western Spur, sending the truck over a guard rail and onto Raymond Boulevard below.

Two passersby helped pull two men out of the truck.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Easter weekend event takes place in Wildwood each year.

WILDWOOD -- More than 1,500 wrestlers from up and down the East Coast competed in the "War at the Jersey Shore" National Youth Wrestling Championships in Wildwood Friday and Saturday.

The competition, hosted by the Atlantic Coast Wrestling Association, was held at the Wildwoods Convention Center.

Wrestlers from Pre-K to 12th grade battled it out in the Combined War -- girls and boys competing together -- with Tot, Bantam, Midget and Junior divisions in the morning sessions. The afternoon sessions featured the Intermediate and High School divisions. There were also girls-only matches.

The two-day event is held on Easter weekend each year.

For results, visit www.flowrestling.org.

Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @photoglori. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

They were allegedly sought in connection with a shooting.

Three Newark men were arrested Sunday after crashing a stolen car into a police cruiser. (File Photo) 

NEWARK -- Three Newark men were arrested early Sunday after the stolen car they were in crashed into a police cruiser, authorities said.

Police had set up a road safety checkpoint at Ferry and Brill streets, Acting Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a release.

A black Mercedes approached that police identified as stolen, Ambrose said. The car moved to avoid the road block, striking a police car in the process.

Three people were arrested after the crash: Khalyl Harley, 18, Kenyon Esannanson, 23 and Alsherric D. Felder, 21. They were allegedly involved in a shooting in East Orange, Ambrose said. Police there had placed a "be on the lookout" on the Mercedes.

Officers were not seriously injured in the crash. The three men were charged with receiving stolen property.

Anyone with information should call 877-NWK-TIPS or 877-NWK-GUNS. All calls are anonymous.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

He was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m.

NEWARK -- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office identified the man who died early Sunday after a domestic dispute as Naim A. Minatee, 37.

Minatee was involved in a dispute at about 11:30 a.m. on 12th Avenue, Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, said.

He was taken to University Hospital and pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m. An autopsy will determine the cause of his death, Carter said.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Police have issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police are looking for a suspect in a shooting in Newark. (File photo) 

NEWARK -- Police are looking for a man who fired a gun Saturday afternoon in Newark, striking at least one person.

Officers went to a home in the 200 block of West End Avenue just after 1 p.m. after a report of shots fired, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

A woman there said she had gotten into a fight with another woman, Ambrose said. While fighting, they heard gunshots and ran.

Meanwhile, police learned someone had been dropped off at University Hospital with a gunshot wound sustained at the West End Avenue shooting, Ambrose said. Detective Richard Pisano interviewed the woman who dropped off the shooting victim.

Through that interview and several others, Pisano identified Alaray Cogdell, 22, as a suspect, Ambrose said. Police issued a warrant for Cogell's arrest on charges of aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses. Bail was set at $150,000.

Anyone with information should call the Newark Police Crime Stoppers' tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Fans at Prudential Center celebrated the 90's Saturday night

NEWARK--Fans at Prudential Center celebrated the 90's Saturday night at Big Hits Throwback Fest. The event, sponsored by the radio station WKTU, brought in classic acts such as Shaggy, Ja Rule, and Bobby Brown. But the real stars of the night were TLC, who played the headlining set. Fourteen years after her death, it's hard to imagine TLC without Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but remaining members T-Boz and Chilli commanded the stage nonetheless, choosing to perform choreographed dance routines during Lopes' verses rather than attempting to replace her.

Alex Remnick may be reached at aremnick@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @AlexRemnick. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ricardo Pavilus, 35, is being held on $100,000 bond

Ricardo Pavilus (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK - A city man was arrested Friday in connection with a December shooting in the city's West Ward.

Ricardo Pavilus, 35, was recognized by officers while walking along South Orange Avenue, and taken into custody on an active warrant charging him with aggravated assault and weapons offenses, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

He had been wanted since earlier this month, when members of the city's Cease Fire Shooting Response Team found evidence he had been involved with the Dec. 12 shooting near South Orange Avenue and Halstead Street, which sent another man to the hospital.

Pavilus remains held at the Essex County Jail on $100,000 bond, according to county sheriff's records.

The shooting remains under investigation, and anyone with information about it or any other crime is asked to call the Newark Police Department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' confidential tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

Marvin Ned and the 25-year-old victim have had "multiple domestic issues" in the past, according to police

Marvin Ned, shown here in a 2015 booking photo. (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK - City police are looking for a man accused of opening fire on his ex-girlfriend's car Sunday morning.

According to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, 28-year-old Marvin Ned pulled up alongside the victim's car on the 200 block of Wainwright Street around 11 a.m. and fired "several shots" in her direction.

Ned then allegedly sped off, but not before the victim and others inside her car caught a glimpse of him. They called police and provided full statements, according to Ambrose, and a warrant for Ned's arrest was issued Sunday afternoon.

No one was hurt during the incident, though Ambrose said Ned and the 25-year-old woman have had "multiple domestic issues" in the past.

Anyone with information on Ned's whereabouts is asked to contact the police department's 24-hour Crime Stoppers' confidential tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

U.S. Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-New Jersey) saw things in Michigan he can't still imagine. He discusses what he saw and what N.J. needs to do.

By Paul Brubaker | The Backgrounder

Before elevated lead levels were detected in the water at Newark schools, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-New Jersey) was already concerned New Jersey communities could face a water contamination crisis after he returned from a congressional delegation trip to Flint, Mich., earlier this month.

Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.)

"It is incumbent upon me to understand a major crisis like this," said Payne, who had served as Newark's City Council President and as an Essex County Freeholder before his election to Congress in 2012.  "We knew these kind of things were coming (with the age of much of nation's water infrastructure). I didn't necessarily think in my lifetime I would see what we've seen in Flint."

Payne, who introduced legislation last week that would provide federal funding to help school districts and charter schools test for lead in their water, talks about what he saw in Flint on the latest edition of The Backgrounder Podcast.

He also gives his view, as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee's Communications Subcommittee, on the federal order to Apple Computer to open a phone linked to an alleged terrorist.

The Congressman also talks about his love of hip hop, his family, the Obamas' Christmas party at the White House, and about the relationship he had with his father, the late Rep. Donald M. Payne, Sr., New Jersey's first African-American elected to Congress, who passed away four years ago this month.

You can hear the entire interview with Rep. Payne by clicking on the orange play button at the top of the page.

Paul Brubaker, former journalist and congressional spokesman, keeps it real with the people who make New Jersey the most fascinating place on Earth. Check back every week for a new episode of 'The Backgrounder.'

Tony Smith, 46, is being held on $125,000 bond

Tony Smith (Essex County Correctional Facility)

NEWARK - An Elizabeth man has been charged in connection with a string of burglaries in the city's East Ward.

Tony Smith, 46, was arrested at his home, where Newark police were waiting for him when he arrived Sunday morning, Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

Authorities had focused their investigation on Smith after a detective spotted a part of his license plate as he sped away from one of the six burglaries.

After a painstaking process of researching "every possible combination" on the plate to match it to the make and model of the vehicle, they were able to obtain a warrant for his arrest, according to Ambrose.

Smith was booked into the Essex County Jail, where he remained held on $125,000 bond as of Sunday night.

An investigation into the string of break-ins remains active, and additional charges may still be filed.

The three-lane slip-and-slide is about the length of three football fields. Watch video

WEST ORANGE -- A 1,000-foot water slide is coming to New Jersey.

"Slide the City," which has made its rounds at fairs and festivals across the U.S., will debut in N.J. on June 4 at the West Orange Street Fair. The event marks the first time the slide will be in New Jersey, and the only Garden State stop scheduled on the slide's nationwide tour.

At 1,000 feet long, the slide, which is padded, three lanes wide, and set up similarly to a slip-and-slide, is about the length of three football fields. It will be set up along Mount Pleasant Avenue, stretching from I-280 to Main Street, town officials said.

"I'm thrilled the slide is coming to our town," West Orange Mayor Robert Parisi said in a statement.

"It's a great opportunity for the community to come together for a day of fun, visit the street fair, and celebrate all West Orange has to offer."

The annual fair will co-host the attraction with the West Orange Downtown Alliance and the Thomas Edison National Park's annual street fair. The rest of the celebration includes a DJ, food vendors, a classic car show, live concert, and a beer garden. Slide rides will start at 9 a.m., the fair begins at 11 a.m.

While the fair is free, rides on Slide the City start at $10, for those who sign-up early. Day-of single rides will cost you $20. The company is also pre-selling triple ride vouchers and unlimited passes. A portion of the proceeds from Slide the City events is donated to Generosity.org, a nonprofit that works to provide clean water to developing countries.

Twenty percent of ticket prices bought with the 'WEAREWESTORANGE' promo code will be also donated to the West Orange Scholarship fund, town officials said.

Downtown West Orange Alliance Director Megan Brill said the addition of the slide to the annual event should be exciting for locals.

"Last year we had well over 50 different resident businesses and community groups participating. The slide is a great addition and I think it'll be good for West Orange," she said.

Slide the City started in 2014. Last summer, company officials said it stopped through about 70 cities across the U.S., and it is on track to visit more than 100 this year. According to the company, it generally uses between 9,000 and 20,000 gallons of water that is continuously recirculated through the slide to run the attraction for one day. According to a TAP into West Orange report, the town will require the water be chlorinated, and flow through instead.

Slide the City co-owner John Malfatto said the over-the-top attraction actually gives events "more of a community feel."

Attendees must be at least 5 years old and 46 inches tall to ride the slide. Get more information here.

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

The formal agreement comes nearly two years after a report detailing a host of abuses by officers was released in 2014

NEWARK - Nearly two years after federal investigators released a scathing report that found the city's police department regularly violated citizens' rights, it appears the formal process of reforming the force is finally ready to begin.

Multiple city sources confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman's office are planning a Wednesday press conference to reveal the details of a consent decree that will set specific benchmarks for the department to improve its so-called "stop and frisk" program, internal affairs unit and other problem areas identified in the report.

Released in July 2014, the DOJ's 49 pages of findings detailed not just misconduct among Newark's ranks, but systemic failures to stop or punish officers for excessive force, racial profiling and even the theft of many citizens' property.

Graduating class of Newark police expected to be 'change agents'

Fishman originally estimated that a finalized agreement might be ready as soon as September of that year, but that date quickly came and went without a deal as talks between city and federal officials dragged on.

City leaders including Mayor Ras Baraka have declared their intention to embrace the reforms, and have begun taking small steps toward goals outlined in a preliminary agreement reached in 2014.

Those include plans to hire an attorney to oversee the department's internal affairs unit and the formation of a civilian complaint review board, in order to implement the DOJ's request for new public oversight of the department. The board, which would be one of the most powerful in the country, has drawn vocal opposition from the city's police unions.

The police department's progress will be overseen by a yet to be named federal monitor, who will be paid by the city to ensure it is complying with the agreement. A list of candidates, including a former state attorney general and an ex-state comptroller, was released last year, though no final decision has been made public.

Matthew Reilly, a spokesman for Fishman, declined to comment Monday.

It also remains unclear how long the federal oversight may last. Consent decrees in other cities around the country have typically lasted no longer than five years, though the New Jersey State Police employed a monitor for a full decade after a racial profiling scandal in 1999.

The Newark Police Department will become the first municipal agency in New Jersey history to require such steps, and the third overall. In addition to the state police, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families has been under federal supervision since 2006 after a lawsuit accused the agency of mismanaging its foster care system.

The city will become the 13th in the country to be placed under a consent decree, joining communities such as Seattle, New Orleans and Albuquerque, N.M.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.