Author: ECCYC

TRENTON – State judicial officials are working on an alternative to a bill passed by the Assembly that, in response to concerns about rising violence, would make it easier to jail people charged with gun crimes until their trials.

That bill, A2426/S513, was passed by the Assembly in a 50-27 vote in March and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.

Glenn Grant, administrative director of the New Jersey courts, said in response to the bill, conversations have taken place between the judiciary, Attorney General’s Office, Public Defender’s Office and American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey “to see if we can come up with a way of enhancing how people who have gun offenses are treated in our system.”

Grant said data shows a small percentage of released defendants were involved in serious weapons offenses – about 200 people in the time period analyzed. He said the bill moving through the Legislature would expand the pool of people held without bail to perhaps 2,000 people.

“There is a need to try to tackle this issue in a way that makes sense, but you cannot detain 90% of the people who have not committed a serious offense in the hope of preventing the 10%,” Grant told the Senate budget committee Tuesday.

“We believe that working with the attorney general’s office, working with the public defender’s office, ACLU, the judiciary and others that we will come up with a way to answer the question that has been raised with respect to gun violence,” he said.

Grant said gun violence is a national issue, happening in states with traditional bail systems and ones that have enacted reforms.

He said the goal should be to tweak the bail reform program, not exponentially increase the number of people detained in county jails until their trials.

“That is a failed policy that took place in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and it did not work,” Grant said.

Grant said additional resources are necessary to address gun violence, such as $8 million in grants to community groups awarded through the attorney general. But he said changes to detention rules won’t stop all violence, noting high-profile cases such as recent alleged hate-crime attacks in Lakewood in which the defendant wasn’t previously through the criminal-justice system.

“There is an expectation that you can prevent violent crime, and that’s the wrong fallacy,” Grant said. “There’s no way that you can do that. What you’re trying to do is to prevent as much as you can. But to seek the perfect, you would have to detain everybody.”

Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, said urban mayors have been talking increasingly about their concerns over repeat gun offenders in their cities. He acknowledges it’s an issue involving only a small percentage of people charged with crimes.

“Unfortunately, those are the ones that hit the headlines, hit the 5 o’clock news and puts all the communities in an uproar, puts the faith-based leaders in an uproar,” Sarlo said.

Michael Symons is the Statehouse bureau chief for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at michael.symons@townsquaremedia.com

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TAP Into Another Town’s News:

When the U.S. Justice Department concluded in 2014 that Newark cops routinely violated residents’ civil rights and used unjustified force, Mayor Ras Baraka called for a civilian complaint review board with subpoena power over the police.

So some people are perplexed over Baraka’s endorsement of former officer Louis Weber as an East Ward city council candidate on his slate in the city’s May 10 municipal election.

“It’s totally inconsistent with what he portrays to the public on where he stands with police,” said Sheila Montague, who is running against Baraka in a bid to become Newark’s first woman mayor. “How do you ask for subpoena power with the CCRB, but then you back a candidate like Weber. That’s ridiculous.”

Weber, 36, used force more than any other Newark officer during five years surveyed by NJ Advance Media for The Force Report, an interactive database with information on every officer from every New Jersey police department from 2012 through 2016.

Weber logged 35 use-of-force incidents, averaging seven a year during that time. It was twice the department-wide rate of 3.5 incidents per year — and in reality, his rate was even higher when considering he retired in 2015.

Use of force includes restraint holds, take-downs, punches, kicks, baton strikes, or gunshots. Officers are trained to use force, which in itself does not amount to misconduct.

‘He’s on our ticket’

Baraka, who last year called for passage of a state bill allowing municipalities to establish civilian review boards, rejected the notion that his endorsement of Weber undercut his support for CCRBs.

“He’s on our ticket,” Baraka said. “Of course, we vetted him, and we went through the whole process. He’s not a police officer anymore.”

Weber declined to be interviewed for this article. But his campaign manager, Deidre Knight, dismissed The Force Report data, insisting it “compared apples to oranges” by failing to account for officers’ varying assignments, which can influence how often they use force.

“Police officers have a wide range of duties involving a wide range of situations requiring the use of force,” Knight wrote in an email. “To give an extreme example, you would expect that officers assigned to traffic duty would have a much lower incidence of use of force than officers who daily deal with violent offenders.”

“During the period in question,” she added, “Mr. Weber was assigned to the Major Crimes Division, Narcotics, Robbery, Homicide Division and SWAT unit, assignments that daily exposed him to violent situations.”

4 candidates, 3 of them cops

The East Ward council race is one of the most competitive in next month’s election, partly because the seat is being vacated by its longtime occupant, Councilman Augusto Amador, 73, who has health issues and is stepping down after six terms and 24 years on the ruling body.

Posters of the candidates vie for attention in restaurant windows along Ferry Street and Wilson Avenue and on billboards and balconies throughout the ward.

In addition to Weber, the other candidates include Jonathan Seabra of the Seabra Foods supermarket family, who ran for the seat unsuccessfully in 2014 and 2018.

There are also two other former police officers running for the ward seat. One is Anthony Campos, a 30-year police veteran appointed chief by Baraka in 2014 before he retired in 2016. Campos ran for council in 2018, when he narrowly lost to Amador in a run-off election.

The fourth East Ward candidate is Michael Silva, a detective who retired from the force last year after much of his tenure involved community policing. Amador endorsed Silva in September after announcing he would not seek another term.

“I think councilman is just an extension of what I was doing,” said Silva, 53, a divorced Ironbound native who shares custody of his 14-year-old son. “I worked hard. I gave all I had for this community.”

Campos and Seabra did not respond to requests for comment. Amador also failed to respond.

Silva had five use-of-force incidents during the five years surveyed by the Force Report, less than a third of the department-wide average. He said he never worked with Weber and declined to comment on his former colleague’s record of force. But Silva said his record was a legitimate issue for voters to consider.

“When someone decides to run for public office,” Silva wrote in an email, “it is understood that the public has the right to examine their professional background as an indicator of their ability to serve constituents.”

Lawsuits dismissed and settled

Even before the period surveyed by the Force Report, Weber’s police conduct was the subject of at least two lawsuits, one of them involving a fatal shooting. That suit was dismissed, while the other, over an alleged beating, was settled.

The first suit involved the death of a 40-year-old Newark man, Steven Vierra, on Feb. 13, 2009. Authorities released a statement at the time saying Vierra tried to rob Newark police officers while brandishing a gun. A subsequent lawsuit filed by his family in federal court charged that Vierra was shot in the head and the back by Weber and a fellow officer, who then left the scene as he lay bleeding.

The suit was dismissed, according to the city’s law department and Raymond Sussman, the Brooklyn lawyer who represented the family. The law department did not provide a reason for the dismissal, and Sussman declined to elaborate on the case.

Knight added that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Attorney General’s Office investigated the incident and “found the shooting was reasonable under the circumstances.”

The other suit involved an incident on April 9, 2008 that alleged Weber and two fellow officers beat the mother of a drug suspect when she tried to intervene in her son’s arrest after the officers failed to identify themselves as police.

The city’s law department said the suit was settled for $8,750. But even then, Knight said, the plaintiff did not identify Weber as the person who assaulted her.

Both suits were included among several hundred actions against the department cited by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey in its successful 2010 petition in federal court seeking a Justice Department investigation, which was granted and led to reforms and a monitor.

Knight said Weber joined the Newark PD at 18, straight out of St. Benedict’s Prep, a well-known private high school in Newark. His record also included departmental honors for saving his partner’s life and, separately, the life of a child stuck in a burning building.

Knight said Weber patrolled the city for 11 years before retiring early due to an on-duty injury in 2015.

His post-retirement years included briefly competing as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter, with a 2-2 career record, and his final bout was on July 15, 2017, according to his Tapology.com page.

Weber is now the civilian executive director of the NPD’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Unit, which investigates liquor license violations.

Cass Gonmiah, a veteran City Hall gadfly and local political observer said Weber’s place on a ticket with the mayor and other incumbents gives him an advantage regardless of his record.

“It doesn’t matter what your background is when you’re running on the ticket of the people already in office,” she said.

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Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com

The parents of a girl whose teacher was accused of removing a hijab from her head last year have filed suit alleging the girl’s religious rights were violated and she suffered emotional harm.

Joseph and Cassandra Wyatt are suing the South Orange-Maplewood School District and Seth Boyden Elementary School Teacher Tamar Herman alleging violations of New Jersey’s anti-discrimination laws, assault and battery, and negligence, according to court documents.

The 7-year-old was a student in Herman’s second-grade class on Oct. 6, 2021, when the teacher “approached her, grabbed her hijab, pulling it back, touching her face and hair and exposing (the girl’s) uncovered head to the class,” states the lawsuit, filed March 4 in Superior Court of Essex County.

The Wyatts state in the lawsuit they are Muslim, and have observed the religious head covering since she was 9 months old.

She “had worn the hijab every day since the beginning of the school year,” the suit states. “In fact, at no time during her attendance at the Seth Boyden Elementary School had she been without her hijab.”

Herman’s attorneys and a spokesperson for the South Orange-Maplewood School District did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

Last year, an attorney for Herman told NJ Advance Media the teacher did not pull the hijab off the student and did not immediately recognize the garment as an hijab.

The suit alleges Herman told the child “she could not wear that (hijab) in school” and that her “natural hair was ‘beautiful.’” The child reacted to the pulling by grabbing her religious head covering and yelling, “That’s my hijab,” the lawsuit states.

“Herman had no legal justification for grabbing the hijab and her intentional act of grabbing the hijab constituted harmful and offensive contact with (the child),” the lawsuit states.

“The actions of (Herman), including intimidation, humiliation and physical force, which were purposely and intentionally perpetrated upon a minor child were so outrageous and extreme as to constitute an intentional infliction of emotional distress,” the suit states.

The incident caused an uproar in the Essex County community, with hundreds of people signing a Change.org petition calling for Herman’s firing. The incident was reported to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for a bias-crime investigation, but Herman was not charged.

Cassandra Wyatt withdrew her daughter and other children from Seth Boyden school in January due to “concerns over the children’s safety and well-being,” according to the lawsuit.

When Wyatt attempted to enroll the children in another school in the district, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education retaliating against the family by not allowing them to transfer, according to the lawsuit.

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

LINDEN — An 18-year-old man was hospitalized with serious injuries in a hit-and-run crash on Route 1&9 late Monday night.

The Rahway man was struck as he crossed the highway at an intersection in front of Aviation Plaza North around 11:15 p.m. according to Linden police Capt. Christopher Guenther. He was taken to University Hospital in Newark.

The vehicle continued north on Route 1 towards Elizabeth.

Guenther did not disclose the identity of the man who was struck, a description of the vehicle or the circumstances of the crash.

Route 1 & 9 was closed for about four hours for an investigation.

Guenther asked anyone with information about the crash to call the department at 908-474-8505.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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A new poll, as reported by New York Post, shows that nearly two-thirds of New Jersey residents would like to leave if they could. A full 36% reported that they will definitely be leaving. The challenge of course is for those remaining.

Many of the people leaving the Garden State are those with the means and ability to make the transition with minimal effort. Our friends at NJBIA have reported for years that billions of dollars in taxable income are flying out of the state.

As a matter of fact, NJBIA reports that between 2004 and 2019, $33 BILLION in adjusted gross income left New Jersey for better economic and tax climates. This loss of income is proving disastrous for those of us remaining to fight.

Combine this with the report from business owners that 64% will be retiring out of state and only 36% diggin’ in with me.

Part of the problem is that the so-called opposition Republicans have proven to be complicit in so many of the disasters handed down by the Democratic majority. Perhaps the most egregious is the fact that the leadership during the lockdowns in the Legislature did nothing to push back on Murphy and Sweeney.

Jon Bramnick and Tom Kean refused to fight. They panicked like school kids over void while the adults in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Sweden, to name just a few, stood up for their citizens, families, and neighborhood businesses.

Now that we see the actual results from the Swedish success story, do you think the clowns in New Jersey will apologize or own their colossal mistakes? Not a chance. Kean for his part is riding a wave of back-room money from Christie operatives hoping to secure a seat in Congress and Bramnick got a promotion to the State Senate!

Sadly, many New Jerseyans are disheartened by the lack of opposition and the lack of leadership. A GOP nominee who refused to stand with kids and first responders losing their jobs over a jab. A GOP operation that has already given up their office and are desperate to protect their own insiders from getting involved in primaries to try and stop outsider candidates actually speaking for real New Jerseyans.

For my part, I’ve committed to do a lot more than talking about it every morning. Putting my money and time where my mouth is, I launched Common Sense Club in order to organize and mobilize parents, small business owners, and first responders to bring change to New Jersey.

I’m now spending multiple nights each week hosting and speaking at town hall meetings across the state to meet and greet New Jersey residents in person to hear their concerns and plan the solution.

If you’d like to join me at any number of events, see my public schedule HERE.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill’s own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

Back in 2020, Gov. Murphy signed what he hailed as the nation’s strongest law  to protect communities like the Ironbound in Newark, from continuing to bear an unjust share of polluting infrastructure like incinerators and power plants. Historically, it’s been places like Ironbound, where  legacy industries left toxic waste behind and 21st century enterprises continue to contribute to degraded air quality that are responsible for some of the highest juvenile asthma rates in the country.

And it’s our cities like Newark, that have also borne the disproportionate share of COVID deaths and infections. They are also home to the tens of thousands of essential workers who put their health, as well as the well-being of their own families at risk, to keep our economy functioning through a once in a century mass death event that killed a million Americans.

“Today we are sending a clear message that we will longer allow Black and Brown communities in our state to be dumping grounds, where access to clean air and clean water are overlooked,” said Governor Murphy back in September of 2020, months before a COVID vaccine was available. “This action is a historic step to ensure that true community input and collaboration will factor into decisions that have a cumulative impact for years to come. I’m incredibly proud that New Jersey is now home to the strongest environmental justice law in the nation.”

DEFINING ‘OVERBURDENED’

The landmark legislation define an overburdened community as any “community where 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income according to the U.S. Census, 40 percent of households are minority, or 40 percent of households have limited English proficiency,” according to Murphy’s press release. “There are approximately 310 municipalities with populations totaling approximately 4,489,000 that have overburdened communities within their municipalities.”

More than 18 months later his bold commitment is being put to the test with the application from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission to build a $180-million dollar gas powered generator to provide auxiliary power to it’s Newark Bay Treatment Plant that processes the human waste generated by 1.5 million residents in 48 municipalities in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Union and Passaic Counties that comprise the Passaic Valley Service District.

Officials with the PVSC argue the backup generator is essential to avoid the catastrophic failure of the plant that processes 300 million gallons of waste water a day like what  happened when  in 2013 a 12 foot storm surge churned up by Sandy inundated the 172-acre complex. Knocked off-line for three days, the plant, the fifth largest in the nation, released a billion gallons of untreated waste into New York Harbor. Low lying homes and businesses in places like Ironbound and other Jersey coastal communities had their basements flooded with a toxic brew of chemicals and untreated sewage.

The proposed facility would be the fourth methane gas power plant in Ironbound which already hosts the state’s largest garbage incinerators as well the road network that carries all of the diesel truck traffic for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey massive port facilities.

DRAWING A LINE THAT STICKS

But an impressive coalition of the nation’s top environmental health physicians and researchers recently wrote Gov. Murphy that the plant would be contrary to the spirit of the law that he had signed back in 2020 to end the practice of concentrating polluting infrastructure in already overburdened communities of color.

The public health experts, which included pediatricians, cardiologists and pulmonary specialists warned that Ironbound residents were already experiencing “high levels of pollution from numerous sources including an incinerator, power plants, heavy industry, Newark airport, truck and train traffic, and a major highway.”

Specifically, the proposed plant would generate a class of air pollutants “linked to a host of health problems including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, autism, learning disabilities, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease. In addition to these direct health impacts, air pollutants from gas-fired power plants are a major contributor to the climate crisis and will increase risk of harm from severe weather events, heat, and flooding in this community.”

The experts warned it was Ironbound, as well as the rest of Newark,  that  was  already “disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with high rates of severe illness and deaths compared to other populations…. due to a number of factors including high rates of co-morbid conditions that increase risk of severe disease as well as greater exposure to air pollutants.”

And this they said would also have serious life-long consequences for the children in these already overburdened neighborhoods.

IMPACTS KIDS

“Children are highly impacted by the environmental conditions in Newark where 25 percent of children, more than three times the national rate, are diagnosed with asthma and hospitalized at 30 times the rate as children in other areas of the country. The high rates of unmanaged asthma in this community are a major contributor to chronic school absenteeism, which in turn contributes to an educational achievement gap and loss of social and emotional supports.”

Specifically, during the 2013-2014 school year, “one in four children in grades K-3, or 4,328 students, was chronically absent, missing 10 or more school days, with asthma given as the primary health reason. The addition of yet another pollution source would further worsen the health of this community’s youngest residents.”

Moreover, the coalition asserted that there were more “safer” more climate friendly alternatives to the PVSC’s methane power plant that would actually utilize a “zero-emission, renewable energy” solution.

At an April 20th press conference at the Ironbound Community Corporation’s Down Bottom Farms reporters heard from some of the letter’s signatories and local residents opposed to the plant.

“Residents and activists spoke Wednesday in a community garden amid the industrialized area, where dozens of passing garbage trucks and tractor trailers made their point for them: As each vehicle passed, choking exhaust that burned the nose and throat was left in its wake,” reported the Associated Press’s Wayne Parry. “And the roar of jets passing low overhead on their approach to Newark Liberty International Airport shook the ground and drowned out conversations.”

The AP dispatch continued. “We deserve clean air,” said 9-year-old Destiny Tate. “It stinks so much. We can’t live like this anymore.”

Dr. Amanda Dilger is a Boston based surgeon affiliated with Harvard Medical School who specializes in researching the effects of climate change on surgical patients who appeared at the event over zoom.

HEALING THE HURT THAT LINGERS

“We see a lot of the impacts of disproportionate burdens of pollution on our environmental justice communities locally, and also what’s going on in Newark,” Dr’ Dilger said. “We know that increased levels of air pollution are associated with cardio-vascular heart and lung mortality morbidity. This effects our surgical patients and contributes to the disproportionate healthcare burdens based on Black and Brown communities. So, we know we can’t address these healthcare inequalities that we see without addressing environmental racism such as placing such as the placement of the dispute plant in Newark.”

In person speakers included Dr. Robert Laumbach, a nationally recognized physician who teaches environmental and occupational medicine at  Rutgers School of Public Health. He said policy makers had to consider the cumulative impacts affecting the health of Ironbound residents that required the “need to draw a line” where “any increase in air pollution was too much.”

“Think of it triple whammy—what you have is more exposure in certain communities like Newark where you have more susceptible individuals with pre-existing conditions like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes that we know from a scientific point of view make more people susceptible to air pollution,  and then you have interactions with these various factors, that can be more than additive, they can be synergistic ” Dr. Lumbach warned.

Nicky Sheats, is an attorney and the director of the Center for the Urban Environment of the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. He was a founding member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and serves on the EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the White House’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

Sheats explained to the Earth Day themed gathering that dealing with the “accumulative impacts” in places like Ironbound was the nation’s “preeminent environmental justice issue.”

“On reason it’s hard to address is because of its close association with race and they multiple sources in communities of color—and we all know in the United States if the issue involves race, it’s always hard to deal with,” Sheats said.

Back in January,  Gov. Murphy ordered the PVSC hold off on a vote on the controversial plant.

At the time, Maria Lopez-Nunez, the director of environmental justice and community development with the Ironbound Community Corporation told the New Jersey Monitor “there’s a lot of irony in saying that climate change is getting worse and we need to to make New Jersey better, so let’s build another fossil fuel plant to fight climate change.”

PVSC is moving ahead with what they believe is an improved plan and will be holding a virtual hearing on April 26 as part of the process it hopes will lead to the New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection granting it an air permit. The NJDEP is still in the process of finalizing the regulations required  for Murphy’s landmark environmental justice legislation to take effect.

PATRONAGE+SEWERS=PVSC

It was the PVSC that back in 2011 was the subject of a wide ranging probe by the New Jersey’s Attorney General’s Division of Criminal Justice that zeroed in on allegations of kickbacks as well the improper solicitation of campaign donations from the authority’s employees.

In  2011, after the Star Ledger reported “widespread nepotism, patronage and insider deals for the politically connected” at the PVSC

Gov. Chris Christie fired six of the agency’s commissioners along with 90 employees. “Instead of taking steps to reform the commission, the members of the board who we terminated over a week ago repeatedly engaged in a pattern of abuse,” Christie said told reporters at the time. He appointed former Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest to clean house at the PVSC.

At least two of the current PVSC commissioners who will decide on the new plant are very familiar with Newark.

Both Newark City Council President Luis A. Quintana and former Newark City Council Member Mildred Crump sit on the bi-partisan panel. The rest of the roster includes Board Chair Thomas Tucci,  Hector Lora, Mayor of Passaic, John Cosgrove, former Mayor of Fair Lawn, Brendan Murphy, former Totowa  Council  Member and Elizabeth Calabrese, former Bergen County Freeholder.

(Visited 5 times, 5 visits today)

I am the father of three boys — ages six, four, and two. And holy guacamole — all of a sudden, our life has become insanely busy this spring. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, social activities are clearly ramping back up. Just this week alone, we have two Little League baseball games, two baseball practices, two scouting events, three after-school events, and two church events on the calendar.

In the fall, we’ll do it all over again, balancing Cub Scouts and PTA with flag football and instructional soccer. Woo!

My wife and I are admittedly young parents, just getting involved in this wild world of youth sports and activities. But it has become increasingly clear after talking to the leaders of these organizations that there is a significant issue brewing in the wide world of youth sports and activities. And it puts the very survival of these programs at risk.

The Problem

To be fair, there are a number of reasonable concerns and complaints I could write about here. Each program has its quirks and complications.

But all of them seem to have one critical challenge these days. Parent volunteers.

Sports leagues need coaches, managers, referees, and commissioners.

Non-athletic activities need instructors and facilitators, organizers and overseers.

More broadly, our children need and deserve leaders. Mentors. Community role models.

Yet every program out there – from baseball to soccer to football to scouting to the PTA – seems to be chronically lacking in family engagement and leadership. Some of them are literally begging for help. But those pleas often fall on deaf ears. And yes, that is a colossal problem.

The Cause

This is a complicated matter, for sure. I believe there are several reasons why parents do not (or can not) get involved with their kids’ activities.

–Too busy… There are more two-working-parent and single-parent households now than ever before. As many fellow millennial parents know, that can make it incredibly difficult to juggle work and home responsibilities. Adding the time and logistical commitment of a leadership role can be overwhelming. Or even physically impossible.

–Not interested… If a child’s interests differ widely from your own, it can obviously be difficult to drum up the desire or passion to volunteer.

–Scared of the commitment or position… A fair concern, especially since enlisting with some organizations can carry some heavy responsibility.

–Scared of other parents… Oh boy. Some parents are truly terrifying. Especially when it comes to cheering on and supporting their young athlete. And things can progress far beyond “personality conflicts”. When unwarranted criticism toward a coach or official spirals toward outright abuse, what motivation remains for a parent volunteer to continue in that role? There’s also the concern of some parents being very clique-y, which can be equally isolating and troublesome.

–Disorganization… Why donate your precious time to an organization that is a complete mess? (I have to admit, I am guilty as charged on this one – I am very picky about who gets my time, energy, and money.) Unfortunately, disorganized groups need volunteers — people power — the most. And so the vicious cycle spirals downward.

The Effect

Do I really need to elaborate on the catastrophic outcome of no leadership and no volunteers?

Programs and offerings diminish.

Facilities deteriorate.

Organizations disappear.

And they don’t come back.

The Solution

Of course, there’s no easy blanket answer to the demise of parent enthusiasm and volunteerism. Other than a suggestion to just do it. It’s just part of the game. Dive in, find a way to volunteer that’s a good fit. For just one sport, activity, organization, or program. (To start, at least.) It is incredibly rewarding. And beneficial for you, your family, and your community. A win-win-win.

Go mow and weed a playing field. Or run the concession stand. Run a fundraiser. Chair a committee. Step up as an assistant coach. Or scorekeeper. Or equipment manager.

In a past life, I briefly worked fundraising for a non-profit’s capital campaign. And I learned the golden rule of philanthropy: You can give your Time, your Talent, and/or your Treasure. Think broadly about the assets you have in each category that you can contribute. Get creative if you have to.

And don’t hesitate to reach out to organization leaders to see how you can help. They’ll almost certainly be enthusiastic to have your support. (And if not, refer to some of the “causes” listed above.)

If every parent out there committed to volunteering for just one activity — just do one thing — this problem would fade significantly. And our communities and children would be mutual benefactors in that success.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey and loves supporting his kids in all their endeavors. His most recent volunteering stints include emceeing the local Cub Scout pack’s Pinewood Derby and attending Career Day at his son’s elementary school. He does the weather sometimes too – follow on Facebook or Twitter for the latest news and updates.

Good Tuesday morning!

The first I heard that longtime Morris County Democratic Chair Chip Robinson was resigning came in the form of a press release from State Democratic Chair LeRoy Jones, who also noted that the Morris County Democratic Committee will meet May 9 to select “a new chair and a new executive board.”

That release came after Robinson had a private meeting with Jones, gubernatorial Chief of Staff George Helmy and U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11th Dist.) at Essex County Democratic headquarters. According to Robinson, whose party has had a couple tough developments lately","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/oliver-party-switch/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>tough developments lately, the decision was mutual.

“The last six months I’ve really just lost my desire to do the job and increasingly was not enjoying myself being the chair,” he said, noting November’s tough election for Democrats and the fact that the chairmanship is becoming more full-time.

The thing is, nobody told the executive board. And that got some people upset. “To the extent a deal was made in that room, it was done without our consent. We learned of it via press release,” Executive Director Scott Carlson wrote on Facebook. “I do not intend to walk away because a few people in a room decided it so. This not Russia, where a party boss can remove duly-elected officers during their term.”

Morris County Democratic Vice Chair also denied she would resign. Then she did","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/two-days-after-saying-she-wasnt-quitting-gurin-resigns/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Then she did. And now Mendham’s Amalia Duarte is officially running to replace Robinson","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/amalia-duarte-announces-candidacy-for-morris-county-democratic-committee-chair/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761250005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>is officially running to replace Robinson.

Internal political squabbles and allegations of political bigfooting aside, this big time-level intervention in the affairs of what for ages has been a perennial minority party committee is interesting. Max Pizarro thinks 2025 positioning is afoot","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/robinson-represents-first-2025-casualty-or-merely-another-whimiscal-star-trek-moment/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>2025 positioning is afoot. My simple read on it? State leaders see Morris County as a potential Somerset some years down the line. It may be dominated by Republicans, who still hold a county-wide monopoly on power, but it started a serious Democratic trend in the Trump era. Somerset, once considered only somewhat less of a Republican bastion than Morris, is now wholly controlled by Democrats at the county level.

When you combine those trends in Morris County with the loss of Democratic comfort in South Jersey — especially Gloucester County — you can see why high-ranking Democrats are taking such an interest in Morris.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 70

WHERE’S MURPHY? Ireland. No public schedule for Acting Gov. Sheila Oliver

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Not to be too flip, but welcome to New Jersey … Seriously, that’s the culture and tradition in this state.” — William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy Executive Director John Froonjian on 2nd District Democratic congressional Carolyn Rush’s claim that Atlantic County Democratic Chair Michael Suleiman is seeking to help her primary opponent","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/state-and-regional/democratic-congressional-candidate-attacks-own-party-leaders/article_1f1e7f78-c193-11ec-863e-2799f8e19ed6.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Suleiman is seeking to help her primary opponent, Tim Alexander.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Impact NJ’s Michael Murphy, former Menendez staffer Tiffani Llerandi Rodriguez

TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"mailto:mfriedman@politico.com","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>[email protected]

NEED MORE PLAYBOOK? — Sign up here for NJ Playbook PM","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-jersey-playbook-pm","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761260007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Sign up here for NJ Playbook PM and get more news in your inbox care of POLITICO’s Jonathan Custodio, minus the snarky headlines

UNTIL THEY TRY THE PIZZA AND BAGELS—Poll finds increase in number of New Jerseyans who want to leave the state","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/04/poll-finds-increase-in-number-of-new-jerseyans-who-want-to-leave-the-state-00027454","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Poll finds increase in number of New Jerseyans who want to leave the state, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jerseyans are generally happy with their state, but the number who say they would like to leave has reached a high point, according to a Monmouth University survey released Monday. Fifty-nine percent of those questioned say they would like to move out of the state at some point, while 38 percent would prefer to stay in New Jersey for the rest of their lives. The last time a Monmouth poll asked that question, in September 2014, the number was 50 percent who wanted to leave versus 45 percent who said they’d prefer to stay. The latest result of the number wanting to leave New Jersey is the highest of the five times Monmouth has asked the question since October 2007. Meanwhile, 66 percent say it’s at least “somewhat likely” they’ll move out of state at some point.

APPLEGREEN TO CHANGE NAME TO SMITHGRANNY — “$126M rest stop revamp to bring 900 jobs to NJ, corporate HQ to Bergen County","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2022/04/25/nj-rest-stops-applegreen-bergen-county-gsp-turnpike/7440632001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>$126M rest stop revamp to bring 900 jobs to NJ, corporate HQ to Bergen County,” by The Record’s Daniel Munoz: “The Irish company that operates the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike service plazas is moving its U.S. headquarters to Bergen County and plans to spend $126 million to upgrade 21 rest stops in the state, in an effort that may create 900 new jobs, officials said Monday. Dublin-based Applegreen PLC is expected to create at least 100 finance, administration and logistics positions at a new travel plaza headquarters in Glen Rock, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office announced on the first day of his trade mission to Ireland.”

MORTON GETS SALTY — “Strange N.J. law allows establishment candidates at the top of the ballot. This must change","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/new-jersey-ballot-establishment-candidates-democrats-20220425.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612b0005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Strange N.J. law allows establishment candidates at the top of the ballot. This must change,” by Felisha Reyes-Morton for The Philadelphia Inquirer: “As a member of Camden City Council, I used to be the kind of candidate who could never lose an election. But when I broke party ranks last year, I learned firsthand about the underbelly of party politics, and the obscure voting rules politicians can take advantage of to subvert the democratic process. In overwhelmingly Democratic cities like Camden, where Republican and independent candidates don’t stand a chance, candidates aren’t chosen on Election Day. Instead, the most powerful officials are elected in the primary, by the small minority of registered voters who show up. In 2021, fewer than 3,000 people out of a city of 73,000 chose Vic Carstarphen as the Democratic candidate for mayor by voting for him in the primary. As the Democratic establishment-backed candidate, his name was printed on the ballot’s county line, where voters saw it first. With Carstarphen’s name in such a prominent position, it was a race he couldn’t lose. This trick is also part of the reason I won my first race.ates at the top of the ballot. This must change.”

NO HEARINGS YET — “Residents and workers of NJ nursing homes have not been forgotten","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/opinion/2022/04/25/residents-workers-nj-nursing-homes-have-not-been-forgotten/7388611001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Residents and workers of NJ nursing homes have not been forgotten,” by Nick Scutari and Joe Vitale: “While significant improvements have been made, we still believe more work must be done to improve the care at our veterans’ homes and long term care facilities and we will continue to advance legislative reforms to that end. However, given the two ongoing investigations by the federal Department of Justice and the State Attorney General, now is not the time to conduct additional legislative hearings. The DOJ and the AG have far more resources at their disposal and we are confident in their ability to determine exactly who is responsible and what went wrong. We look forward to reviewing the findings from their investigations. Further, we are open to holding hearings as appropriate after the release of the findings to help us determine next steps and hear from stakeholders on how to best implement the recommendations.”

HIGHER ED —College leaders, citing possible loss of operating aid, say ‘inequities’ persist in higher ed funding","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/04/college-leaders-citing-possible-loss-of-operating-aid-say-inequities-persist-in-higher-ed-funding-00027581?source=email","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>College leaders, citing possible loss of operating aid, say ‘inequities’ persist in higher ed funding, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: New Jersey college leaders say the funding Gov. Phil Murphy’s budget proposal includes for higher education is a good starting point, but maintain “inequities” persist in the way that money is distributed, declaring some schools would see cuts in their overall operating aid. In his fiscal year 2023 proposal, Murphy recommended an increase of around $44 million for his free-tuition Garden State Guarantee Program through the outcomes-based allocation funding model for schools, but that comes at the expense of a $42 million cut in operating aid for colleges. That cut includes a number of legislative add-ons from fiscal year 2022, including a “full-time student” floor — also called FTE floor — that gave all public four-year institutions at least $3,050 in state aid per full-time students

—“N.J. nursing homes whose residents were hit hard by COVID fined $12M during pandemic","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2022/04/nj-nursing-homes-whose-residents-were-hit-hard-by-covid-fined-12m-during-pandemic.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. nursing homes whose residents were hit hard by COVID fined $12M during pandemic” 

—“Jameson distillery visit rounds off murphy’s second event-filled day in Ireland","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/governor/jameson-distillery-visit-rounds-off-murphys-second-event-filled-day-in-ireland/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Jameson distillery visit rounds off murphy’s second event-filled day in Ireland” 

—Sarlo, as mayor of Wood-Ridge, considers barring his town’s cops from cannabis use","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/04/sarlo-as-mayor-of-wood-ridge-considers-barring-his-towns-cops-from-cannabis-use-00027448","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c0009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Sarlo, as mayor of Wood-Ridge, considers barring his town’s cops from cannabis use

—“Start spreading the news, Frank Sinatra has a Parkway service area named for him","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/news/2022/04/start-spreading-the-news-frank-sinatra-has-a-parkway-service-area-named-for-him.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Start spreading the news, Frank Sinatra has a Parkway service area named for him” 

—“NJ marijuana legalization favors unions for cannabis workers","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://nj1015.com/nj-marijuana-legalization-favors-unions-for-cannabis-workers/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c000c","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787612c000d","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>NJ marijuana legalization favors unions for cannabis workers” 

OR WILL CRISPI GET CREAMED? — “Can a Trump-style campaign knock out longtime Republican Chris Smith in NJ’s 4th District?","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/columnists/charles-stile/2022/04/25/nj-elections-4th-district-chris-smith-mike-crispi-donald-trump/7394312001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Can a Trump-style campaign knock out longtime Republican Chris Smith in NJ’s 4th District?” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Mike Crispi, a conservative talk-show host, strolled before a Monmouth County breakfast gathering earlier this month, casting himself as a brass-knuckled insurgent willing to dislodge Republican Christopher Smith from the seat he’s held in Congress for 41 years. But this was more than just a conventional get-to-know-the-candidate soiree. The 29-year-old was also auditioning for former President Donald Trump. Last fall, Smith found himself on Trump’s enemies list after he, and 10 other House Republicans, broke ranks and voted for President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package … Trump has not officially bestowed his blessing on Crispi, despite Crispi’s enlisting consultant Roger Stone, Trump’s dark-arts confidant. Crispi is also facing competition from two other anti-establishment candidates. Regardless of the crowded field, Crispi and his insurgent competitors are taking a David-vs.-Goliath gamble. Can they harness enough grassroots anger to defeat a veteran right-of-center New Jersey Republican who enjoys powerful institutional advantages? … Some longtime political observers say it’s wishful thinking.”

—“‘Just insane’: Kyle Mullen’s mom slams silence, mistakes after Navy SEALs Hell Week death","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/military/2022/04/25/navy-seals-hell-week-death-kyle-mullen-mom-regina-manalapan/7397187001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>‘Just insane’: Kyle Mullen’s mom slams silence, mistakes after Navy SEALs Hell Week death” 

—“HCCC North campus atrium named for Rep. Albio Sires","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/hudson/2022/04/hccc-north-campus-atrium-named-for-rep-albio-sires.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761320005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>HCCC North campus atrium named for Rep. Albio Sires” 

TOTO: IT’S SOMETHING THAT A HUNDRED MEN OR MORE COULD DO — “Middlesex Water Company facing class action lawsuit for high contamination","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/courts/2022/04/25/middlesex-water-company-faces-class-action-suit-high-contamination/7410142001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761340000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761340001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Middlesex Water Company facing class action lawsuit for high contamination,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “A Superior Court judge has certified a lawsuit against Middlesex Water Company as a class action case. The April 21 ruling by Judge Michael Toto in Middlesex County allows all the water company’s affected customers to join the litigation if they want … The lawsuit was filed after the water company notified customers on Oct. 22 and Nov. 8 that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in groundwater samples in excess of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Maximum Contaminant Level standard at the company’s Park Avenue Treatment Plant in South Plainfield. PFOA is a chemical used in industry and consumer products that break down slowly and can build up in people, animals and the environment over time.”

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO — “N.J. school district will teach new sex ed standards, but on last day of classes","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/education/2022/04/nj-school-district-will-teach-new-sex-ed-standards-but-on-last-day-of-classes.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=njdotcom_sf&utm_content=nj_twitter_njdotcom&utm_source=twitter","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. school district will teach new sex ed standards, but on last day of classes,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rob Jennings: “Morris County school district is telling parents that new lessons next year stemming from the state’s updated sex education standards will be limited to the last day of classes. East Hanover Superintendent Natalee Bartlett outlined the K-8 district’s plans in a letter Tuesday, amid an ongoing statewide controversy over the standards. ‘Please know that we will not change our current lesson-planning or curriculum offerings based on the updated standards,’ Bartlett wrote in a letter she provided Friday to NJ Advance Media. The district intends to ‘loosely interpret the standards,’ she wrote …’ ‘Further, we also believe that the state is acknowledging its overreach, and has begun distancing itself from some of the new standards. It would not surprise us if many of these topics are altered prior to the new school year. However, as we agree that some topics may be uncomfortable for students, parents and guardians, we want to remind parents/guardians that they have the option of excluding their children from any portion of sexuality education instruction if it is in conflict with conscience, moral, or religious beliefs,’ Bartlett wrote.”

CLARK MAYOR CONSIDERS CHANGING TOWN’S NAME TO ‘SQUAWK’ — “NJ brook, lake getting new names as federal government erases the S-word from the map","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/local/2022/04/25/north-haledon-nj-squaw-brook-lake-new-names-passaic-county/7362622001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>NJ brook, lake getting new names as federal government erases the S-word from the map,” by The Record’s Philip DeVencentis: ”A rock-strewn creek that courses from north to south through the borough will be renamed by the federal government under a plan to eliminate pejorative terms from hundreds of national sites. Squaw Brook is a tributary’s tributary — branching off like a fine thread in the immense Passaic River basin — but it was selected as one of two locations in New Jersey in need of a fresh look. The other site, Squaw Lake, is a 16-acre reservoir in the township of Medford. The Department of the Interior first announced the sweeping changes in November, and in a matter of three months, it unveiled possible replacement names for 660 geographic features known by the ‘squaw’ moniker … Steven Burton, the chairman of the state Commission on American Indian Affairs, said any name is preferred over Squaw Brook. ‘It’s no different than the N-word,’ said Burton, a native of Mahwah and an elder in the Ramapo Munsee Lenape Nation. According to a statement by the Interior Department, ‘squaw’ is an ethnic and sexist slur, especially for Indigenous women”

MARIJUANA PSYCHOSIS WILL MAKE YOU HOARD COKE MACHINES AND WOOLLY MAMMOTH TUSKS  — “Ocean County says no to acting NJ attorney general on legal weed for off-duty cops","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/ocean-county/2022/04/25/ocean-county-nj-ban-police-legal-weed/7421148001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Ocean County says no to acting NJ attorney general on legal weed for off-duty cops,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “Ocean County sheriff’s officers are prohibited from using marijuana when off duty, despite a memo from acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin asserting that they can. Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy has informed his police unions that there will be ‘ramifications’ if an officer is discovered to have violated the county policy, said Jack Kelly, director of the county Board of Commissioners. However, the sheriff has stopped short of threatening to terminate any employee who does so. The policy was affirmed at a meeting of the commission last Wednesday, when Kelly read a statement from Mastronardy at the start of its public meeting. ‘Marijuana, when consumed, stays in your system for 30 days and there are field tests to determine the level of marijuana intoxication,’ Kelly said. ‘Additionally, federal law still classifies marijuana as an illegal ‘schedule 1’ drug.’ … ‘As such, a law enforcement agency that allows its officers to consume marijuana may be ineligible for certain federal grants,’ Kelly said.”

BY BORDENTOWN POLICE CHIEF STANDARDS IT COULD BE WORSE — “N.J. police chief charged with drunken driving following crash, records show","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/news/2022/04/nj-police-chief-charged-with-drunken-driving-following-crash-records-show.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. police chief charged with drunken driving following crash, records show,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kevin Shea: “Bordentown Township Police Chief Brian Pesce has been charged with drunken driving following a crash in Mercer County in which police allege he left the scene and did not report the incident, court records show. Pesce, a 23-year police officer in Bordentown Township and its chief since 2018, is charged with five traffic offenses for the Friday night crash in Hamilton’s University Heights neighborhood. They include reckless and careless driving, in addition to the drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, and failing to report an accident.”

PASSAIC COUNTY —“Judge says Passaic GOP can swap Sheriff candidates","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/judge-says-passaic-gop-can-swap-sheriff-candidates/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761350009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Judge says Passaic GOP can swap Sheriff candidates,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Passaic County Republicans will be able to put Mason Maher on the June primary ballot as their candidate for sheriff after their original pick failed to meet the residency requirement, Superior Court Judge Ernest Caposela ruled on Monday. ‘If it’s an uncontested primary, what’s the big deal for his name to be on the ballot?’ asked Caposela. ‘I don’t see the harm. I really don’t. Republicans went to court today to substitute Maher, a Paterson police detective lieutenant and the president of the Superior Officers Association, to take the place of Troy Oswald, a former Paterson police chief.’”

—“Control of [Cumberland] county jail up for a vote, sheriff would take over troubled facility","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/news/2022/04/25/cumberland-county-board-commissioners-democrats-transfer-jail-control-sheriff/7422551001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Control of [Cumberland] county jail up for a vote, sheriff would take over troubled facility” 

—“Firefighter, [Vineland] end discrimination lawsuit out of court with $275,000 payment","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/news/2022/04/20/vineland-settlement-black-firefighter-chris-williams-discrimination-state-lawsuit/7362023001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000c","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000d","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Firefighter, [Vineland] end discrimination lawsuit out of court with $275,000 payment” 

—“Maplewood child suffered ’emotional harm’ when her hijab was removed by teacher, suit says","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2022/04/25/hijab-removed-maplewood-nj-teacher-harmed-child-lawsuit/7388610001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000e","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f7876135000f","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Maplewood child suffered ’emotional harm’ when her hijab was removed by teacher, suit says” 

—“With Newark school board tallies updated, slate backed by mayor retains sweep","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/education/2022/04/with-newark-school-board-tallies-updated-slate-backed-by-mayor-retains-sweep.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761360000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f78761360001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>With Newark school board tallies updated, slate backed by mayor retains sweep” 

SEE WHAT LEGAL WEED HAS DONE? — “N.J. racetrack probes rise, as more horses test positive for banned substances","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/04/25/n-j-racetrack-probes-rise-as-more-horses-test-positive-for-banned-substances/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. racetrack probes rise, as more horses test positive for banned substances,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Dana DiFilippo: “The number of horses that tested positive for banned substances more than doubled in the past year at New Jersey’s three horse racing tracks, state police data shows. The New Jersey State Police’s racetrack unit conducted 51 barn searches in the 2021 fiscal year at the Meadowlands Racetrack, Freehold Raceway, and Monmouth Park, up from just 20 the year before, state data shows. The state Attorney General’s Office, which oversees the unit, attributed the jump to improved lab testing that resulted in more positives. The upswing comes as attention grows on the sport of horse racing and its persistent problems with horse doping.”

—“N.J.’s COVID cases are woefully undercounted. Sewage may be its last early warning system","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/bergen/2022/04/njs-covid-cases-are-woefully-undercounted-sewage-may-be-its-last-early-warning-system.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J.’s COVID cases are woefully undercounted. Sewage may be its last early warning system” 

—“‘The best passport’: NJ WWII vet who served on D-Day using new ID to go back to Normandy","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/military/2022/04/25/hampton-nj-world-war-ii-veteran-d-day-passport-normandy/7370966001/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>‘The best passport’: NJ WWII vet who served on D-Day using new ID to go back to Normandy” 

—“NJCU plans tuition raise, but says total cost per student will go down next year","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/hudson/2022/04/njcu-plans-tuition-raise-but-says-total-cost-per-student-will-go-down-next-year.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>NJCU plans tuition raise, but says total cost per student will go down next year” 

—“All 16 major sandwich chains in N.J., ranked from worst to best","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2022/04/all-16-major-sandwich-chains-in-nj-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b0009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>All 16 major sandwich chains in N.J., ranked from worst to best” 

—“Ex-editor slams the price of The Asbury Park Press","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/media/ex-editor-slams-the-price-of-the-asbury-park-press/","_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-6587-df63-aff1-f787613b000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Ex-editor slams the price of The Asbury Park Press”