Author: ECCYC

Purse Snatched From Mom As She Tends To Child At Livingston Supermarket: Police – Patch

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The Livingston police responded to the local ShopRite on Tuesday after a woman said her purse was snatched while she was tending to her child.

Police said they responded around 5:05 p.m. on a report of a “female in distress.” A woman told the police that after she parked, she attempted to remove her child from the back seat of her vehicle.

As she did so, she said, a suspect or suspects pulled up in a vehicle, grabbed the purse from her shoulder, and fled the lot.

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No further details are available. The incident is being investigated by the Livingston Detective Bureau.

This was not the only Essex County purse snatching reported last week.

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In Maplewood, police said that someone snatched a purse from a 70-year-old woman who was waiting at a bus stop last Wednesday afternoon. The suspect ran to a dark-colored car and took off, police said. READ MORE: Woman, 70, Says Her Purse Was Snatched At Maplewood Bus Stop

More Livingston police news this week: Mercedes Stolen On Memorial Day

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34 NJ towns, 12 counties getting at least $100K to reduce litter – New Jersey 101.5 FM

New Jersey towns and counties are splitting $21.4 million to reduce litter over the next several months.

Grants announced by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection represent a $700,000 increase over 2021’s disbursement, meaning Garden State consumers spent a lot more on trash-producing items over the past year.

“These grant funds are used to promote volunteer litter cleanups, as well as paid litter cleanups, as well as inmate labor programs,” said JoAnn Gemenden, executive director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, which oversees the grant funding.

The funds can also go to the purchase of cleanup equipment, cleanup of stormwater systems, graffiti removal, education programs, and adoption and enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances. Towns and counties can use some of their funds to purchase reusable bags that comply with New Jersey’s plastics ban.

“Litter prevention is much more important than putting all these people to work after it’s been littered,” Gemenden said. “I think we all saw during COVID that personal responsibilities were left to the wayside. We saw gloves and masks littered in every parking lot.”

Clean Communities grants are funded by a user fee on manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors that produce litter-generating products.

Grant amounts are based on housing units and miles of municipally owned roadways, NJDEP said.

According to NJDEP, municipalities receiving the largest grants this year are:

Jersey City, Hudson County – $462,879
Newark, Essex County – $453,723
Toms River, Ocean County – $227,480
Paterson, Passaic County – $206,579
Hamilton, Mercer County – $194,686
Edison, Middlesex County – $184,810
Elizabeth, Union County – $184,727
Woodbridge, Middlesex County – $181,095
Brick, Ocean County – $170,308
Middletown, Monmouth County – $157,330
Cherry Hill, Camden County – $155,560
Lakewood, Ocean County – $145,844
Trenton, Mercer County – $145,143
Clifton, Passaic County – $141,522
Franklin, Somerset County – $141,492
Vineland, Cumberland County – $136,630
Berkeley, Ocean County – $133,439
Gloucester Township, Camden County – $129,188
Old Bridge, Middlesex County – $124,018
Howell, Monmouth County – $123,522
Camden, Camden County – $123,484
Jackson, Ocean County – $119,285
East Orange, Essex County – $113,991
Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County – $113,932
Manchester, Ocean County – $112,263
Bayonne, Hudson County – $111,904
Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County – $110,690
Wayne, Passaic County – $107,760
Monroe Township, Middlesex County – $105,240
Piscataway, Middlesex County – $103,344
Evesham Township, Burlington County – $101,924
Hoboken, Hudson County – $101,590
East Brunswick, Middlesex County – $100,703
Bridgewater, Somerset County – $100,439

Counties receiving grants of at least $100,000 are:

Ocean – $216,879
Cumberland – $190,042
Burlington – $177,988
Bergen – $155,656
Gloucester – $145,797
Camden – $139,678
Monmouth – $133,527
Atlantic – $131,163
Salem – $126,562
Middlesex – $110,889
Sussex – $110,437
Morris – $100,624

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

NJ beach tags guide for summer 2022

We’re coming up on another summer at the Jersey Shore! Before you get lost in the excitement of sunny days on the sand, we’re running down how much seasonal/weekly/daily beach tags will cost you, and the pre-season deals you can still take advantage of!

See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State

Essex County Celebrates Jewish Heritage: Community Leaders Earn Awards – Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Five community leaders recently earned awards as part of two annual Jewish Heritage Month events in Essex County.

The Essex County Board of County Commissioners held its annual Jewish Heritage Month event on May 19. The event is held yearly to “celebrate the accomplishments of Jewish men and women everywhere and honor outstanding Essex County citizens for their unique contributions both to our county and society as a whole.”

This year, the board recognized three people:

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Rabbi Max Edwards of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston
Caren Freyer, regional public affairs manager at PSE&G
Jill Hirsch, district director for U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill

“We look forward to this event every year, as it gives us an opportunity to recognize one of the many communities that contribute to our county’s greatest strength – the diversity of our people,” Commissioner President Wayne Richardson said.

“Last year, due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, our Jewish Heritage event was held virtually,” Richardson said, adding that the county has now been able to resume holding the celebrations in person.

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The board provided the following backgrounds about each honoree:

Jill Hirsch, presented by Commissioner Tyshammie L. Cooper, is the District Director for the office of Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11th District. She oversees the operations of the District Office and supervises constituent and political outreach. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with honors and earning a joint degree in Law and Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, she started her career in the child welfare field focusing on adoption law, domestic adoptions, step-parent adoptions, and foster care adoption matters. During her time as a Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society, she represented children in abuse, neglect, custody and guardianship cases, and worked on the Education Advocacy Project (EAP), a grant-funded project which provided early intervention and special education advocacy for foster children with developmental delays.

Rabbi Max Edwards, presented by Commissioner Patricia Sebold, is the Assistant Rabbi at Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston. Prior to his rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Newton, Massachusetts, he received a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In his role at B’nai Abraham, he is involved in a number of initiatives. Aside from service leading, regular teaching, and providing pastoral care, he has worked with his clergy colleagues to increase the community’s role in social justice causes. He is currently working with Refugee Assistance Partners New Jersey (RAP-NJ) to explore options for refugee resettlement in the Livingston area.

Caren L. Freyer, presented by Commissioner President Wayne L. Richardson, is a Regional Public Affairs Manager with PSE&G. She provides strategic communications, problem solving, public policy support, and regular testimony at Commissioner and Town Council hearings. Additionally, she manages local relationships with public officials and stakeholders to support the PSE&G Regional Public Affairs team. During her career in the energy sector, she has held a variety of leadership roles including: Vice President of Governmental Relations with Parsons Brinckerhoff; Manager of State Governmental Relations with EBASCO services; Commissioner and Vice Chairwoman of the Essex County Utilities Authority; and Energy Analyst with the New Jersey State Department of Energy. She is also a member of several civic and community-based organizations including: The Morris Essex Mental Health Association; the World Trade Center Scholarship Fund; the Newark Workforce Investment Board; the Morris Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman’s Committee; and the New Jersey Business Alliance.

STAR OF ESSEX AWARDS

On Tuesday, two high-achieving community leaders earned awards as part of the annual Essex County Annual Jewish Heritage Celebration.

The event recognizes the “influence and positive impact that Jewish people have had, and continue to have, on the economy and culture of Essex County.” It is part of a yearlong series of programs that recognize and celebrate the diversity of Essex County; other cultural celebrations celebrate African American Heritage, Irish Heritage, Italian Heritage, Jewish Heritage, Latino Heritage and Portuguese Heritage.

This year’s Star of Essex Award winners are Maya Lordo, Essex County Health Officer, and John Schreiber, president and CEO of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

“Maya Lordo and John Schreiber have both been influential members of our community having had great personal success in their respective careers,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Their commitment to serving the Jewish community and improving the lives of Essex County residents, their leadership, and dedication to public service is to be praised,” he added.

County officials offered the following background about this year’s honorees.

MAYA LORDO

Maya Lordo, born Maya Rabinovich, immigrated to the United States in 1991 from the former Soviet Union with her family. Her family originated from the Ukraine and later moved to Uzbekistan during WWII to escape the persecution of Jews. In 1991, Maya arrived in Brooklyn, NY, and was brought up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where she not only learned about Italian American culture, but about her Jewish religion as this was not an allowed practice in her former country. Maya later moved to New Jersey, where she attended William Paterson University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and New Jersey City University where she earned her master’s degree in Health Administration. She has her state license as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and is a nationally recognized Master Certified Health Educator. In 2017, she earned her NJ Health Officers license that allows her to lead a Public Health Agency in the State of New Jersey.

Those who know Maya know her passion for Yoga. She became a certified yoga teacher in 2016 and continues to live by the mantra, “You cannot always control what goes on the outside, but you can always control what goes on inside.” This particularly allowed her to take on the challenge as Essex County Public Health Officer in 2019. Four months after she began her career in Essex County, the world as we know it had changed. Covid-19 became her first, middle and her last names. Working through the pandemic, Maya still managed to create a health department that promotes emotional and physical resilience in the community. The department aims to prevent, detect, and educate about diseases while developing new policies to advance the well-being of Essex County residents. Maya moved the department to become the state recognized LINCS agency/and emergency response coordinator with the New Jersey Department of Health.

“When I came to the United States in 1991 at the age of 7 with my mother, I didn’t know what being Jewish was because we were not allowed to practice our religion in Russia,” Lordo said. “We should be compassionate for those who are not the same as us,” she noted.

JOHN SCHREIBER

John Schreiber grew up in Queens and lived at the last stop on the subway. Starting at the age of 9, his parents gave him $5 and let him take the subway into the city so he could buy a seat in the balcony at a Broadway show. From those experiences, John fell in love with the theater and thought, “I don’t know how, but I want to be part of that.” He became the second President and CEO of New Jersey Performing Arts Center on July 1, 2011. In a typical season, the Arts Center presents more than 650 events, serving over 575,000 patrons. Its acclaimed arts learning programs reach over 100,000 children and families annually.

Termed “a visionary producer” and America’s “impresario of brand names” by The New York Times, Schreiber’s career has encompassed award-winning theater, television, concerts, festivals, documentary film, branded entertainment, and a host of other cultural and cause-related events. His producer credits include the nationwide KOOL and JVC Jazz Festivals, the Newport Jazz Festival, the weekly television concert series Hard Rock Live, the Benson & Hedges Blues Festivals, the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (PBS), the New Yorker Literary and Arts Festival, the American Express Gold Card Grammy Festival, and, with the trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, the Harman: How to Listen music education program. He received Emmy and Tony Awards as producer of the Broadway and HBO hit Elaine Stritch at Liberty. He was the lead producer of George C. Wolfe’s Harlem Song, the only musical ever to play a six-month engagement at the legendary Apollo Theater.

Prior to joining NJPAC, he served as Executive Vice President at Participant Media, the Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially relevant documentary and feature films, television, publishing and digital media, where he was responsible for managing the creation, development and execution of unique social action and advocacy campaigns for each of the company’s movies. Participant’s award-winning films include An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night and Good Luck, The Help, Waiting for Superman, Food Inc., Lincoln, The Kite Runner, and Syriana.

Schreiber is a board member of the Newark Alliance and is an Advisory Board member of First Book and Rutgers University-Newark. He served as Programs Chair for the year-long 350th celebration of Newark’s founding. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Montclair State University.

“I am surprised, honored and thrilled to be recognized by the County Executive, who is always thinking about what can be done for Essex County,” Schreiber said. “From my mother Irene, I observed the importance of serving the community. She was always trying to be of some service to the community and that’s what I thought about when I came to NJPAC,” he added.

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Environmental Leaders Vow to Reconnect Newark Community to Passaic River Over Next Decade – TAPinto.net

TAP Into Another Town’s News:

New Canaan Jumps Darien in Nike/USA Lacrosse HS Girls’ National Top 25 – USA Lacrosse Magazine

SOUTH TOP 10

1. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), 18-2

The Highlanders defeated American Heritage-Delray (Fla.) to claim their second state title since 2019. Senior Jacqueline Jaskiewicz, a Georgetown recruit, led Lake Highland with 50 goals while senior and Franklin and Marshall College prospect Lauren Pittman had a team-leading 37 assists. Previous: 1

2. Milton (Ga.), 20-3

The Eagles claimed their fifth consecutive state championship, rallying from a late two-goal deficit to defeat Creekview (Ga.) 13-12. All three of Milton’s losses in 2022 were by a single goal. The Eagles’ season was highlighted with wins over Connelly School of the Holy Child (Md.) and Hillgrove (Ga.). Previous: 2

3. Hockaday (Texas), 20-1

The Daisies dominated Westlake (Texas) 20-8 in the state championship. The victory marked back-to-back state championships and the fifth overall in the program’s history. Hockaday’s season was highlighted with a win over Torrey Pines (Calif.). Previous: 3

4. American Heritage-Delray (Fla.), 18-3

The Stallions had a 26-game winning streak versus in-state opponents snapped in the state championship against Lake Highland Prep (Fla.). Carli Fleisher, a Northwestern signee, joined American Heritage-Delray to provide a team-leading 62 goals and 58 assists. American Heritage-Delray had significant out-of-state wins over Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.) and Agnes Irwin (Pa.). Previous: 4

5. Bartram Trail (Fla.), 22-3

The Bears survived a pair of one-goal contests in the Florida 2A final four to claim a state championship, including an 8-7 win over Vero Beach (Fla.) in the finals. Ryann Frechette had an impressive campaign with 94 goals and 52 assists. Previous: 5

6. Steinbrenner (Fla.), 21-2

After losing just once in the regular season, the Warriors came one game short of reaching the title game for the second straight year. Steinbrenner fell to eventual 2A state champs Bartram Trail (Fla.) 5-4 on May 6. Junior midfielder Taylor Lapointe led Steinbrenner with 54 goals and 19 assists. Previous: 6

7. Blessed Trinity (Ga.), 22-1

The Titans closed out an impressive season with a 20-2 win over Northview (Ga.) to claim a Class A-5A title. Blessed Trinity defeated McIntosh (Ga.) 21-3 en route to the state championship. The victory marked back-to-back state championships for Blessed Trinity (Ga.). Previous: 7

8. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 20-2

The Crusaders won their fifth title in program history, defeating Charlotte Catholic (N.C.) 13-9 in the state championship game after trailing 6-2 early on. Junior Gracie Mullahy’s three-goal, two-assist effort led Cardinal Gibbons in the championship. Mullahly’s younger sister Lexi shined in the state semifinal as Cardinal Gibbons defeated Holly Springs (N.C.) 25-16. The Mullahys combined for eight goals and seven assists in the semifinals. Previous: 8

9. Creekview (Ga.), 20-2

The Grizzlies came minutes shy and a goal short of stopping Milton (Ga.) from claiming its fifth state title. Creekview lost in the state championship 13-12 after holding a late 11-9 advantage. Creekview’s season was highlighted by wins over Starr’s Mill (Ga.) and Hillgrove (Ga.). Previous: 9

10. Bishop England (S.C.), 18-0

The Battling Bishops earned a South Carolina state title after defeating opposition by a combined margin of 337-27. Frances Poch and Elisabeth Tausig each contributed 105 points this season for Bishop England. Previous: 10

— Justin Boggs

MIDWEST TOP 10

1. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 21-0

The Golden Bears were dominant in their quest for a Region 3 title, topping all four of their foes by at least 10 goals. That included seven Camryn Callaghan goals to run away with the regional championship in UA’s 17-7 win over Dublin Coffman (Ohio). Previous: 1

2. Jackson (Ohio), 20-1

While the Golden Bears cruised to a Region 3 title, the Polar Bears had a doozy of a Region 2 championship game, ultimately holding onto a sizable halftime lead to top Hudson (Ohio) 9-7. Lauren Pallotta (5 goals) and Riley Floyd (3 goals) provided plenty of offense on a night in which goals didn’t come easy. Previous: 2

3. New Albany (Ohio), 19-2

Led by five goals and two assists from Katie Kaucheck and three goals and six draw controls from Ellie McClelland, the Eagles edged Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 14-11, in the Region 1 championship game. NA will look to avenge one of its only two losses in the state semis when it faces Jackson (Ohio). The Eagles might get a chance to avenge the other as well if both NA and UA advance to the state title game. Previous: 3

4. New Trier (Ill.), 21-2

The Trevians played a superb defensive game in the sectional finals against rival Loyola Academy (Ill.), including key interceptions by Grace Mawicke, Audrey Rudolph and Lily Wallace for an 8-7 win. Addie Shevitz fueled the offense with three goals and two assists while Emma Curry also had a hat trick and Grace Curry added another pair of goals. Previous: 4

5. Loyola Academy (Ill.), 17-6

The Ramblers gave one heck of a fight in their sectional final battle with the Trevians, rallying time and time again, including a late-game surge by Catherine Holcomb, before ultimately falling 8-7 to their rivals. LA’s final record is highly deceptive, as four of those losses came during a grueling series of trips to the East Coast while the other two were by a goal apiece to New Trier. Previous: 5

6. Guerin Catholic (Ind.), 19-0

The Golden Eagles’ perfect record was tested in a sectional title contest against the Royals with Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.) even taking a three-goal lead at one point, but Guerin Catholic responded with stifling defense. Led once again by stifling defense along with four Claire Alic goals, the Golden Eagles then topped Bishop Chatard (Ind.) 12-7 to earn their first trip to the state title game. Previous: 6

7. University School of Milwaukee (Wisc.), 15-1

The Wildcats continue to roll including an 18-goal onslaught against Kenosha (Wisc.) that included four goals apiece by seniors Molly Janssen and Grace Tuttle, five assists by senior Brooke Robinson and two goals and three assists by junior Abby Sisson. Previous: 7

8. Forest Hills Northern (Mich.), 18-1

The Huskies pitched a shutout in the Region 1 semifinals against Grand Haven (Mich.) and next face Haslett (Mich.) with a regional title on the line. Previous: 8

9. Carmel (Ind.), 17-2

The Greyhounds were to face Evansville Memorial (Ind.) in a state semifinal May 30 with the potential to earn a rematch with undefeated Guerin Catholic (Ind.), which edged Carmel by a goal in their first meeting. Previous: 9

10. Kentucky Country Day (Ky.), 24-3

The state champion Bearcats benefited from tremendous balance with seven players over 30 goals, led by 92 goals (and 60 assists) from Sarah Beth Burns. Previous: 10

— Jonah Rosenblum

WEST TOP 10

1. Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.), 21-1

The Knights repeated as CIF Southern Section champions, beating Santa Margarita (Calif.) 18-9 in the final. They ended the season on a 17-game winning streak, following a one-goal loss to St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), and finished with four wins against West-ranked teams. Previous: 1

2. Colorado Academy (Colo.), 18-1

The Mustangs won their seventh consecutive state title, beating Valor Christian 13-9 in the Class 5A final for their eighth overall championship. They also won a title in 2000 before the current run. CA sent long-time coach Laura Sandbloom off on a high note as she is stepping down to move closer to family. Previous: 2

3. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 19-2

The Wildcats topped Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) 11-10 to claim the CIF Central Coast title. Their lone losses were to Colorado Academy and Cherry Creek (Colo.), and they outscored their opponents 349-119. Previous: 3

4. Valor Christian (Colo.), 15-4

The Eagles finished as state runners up for a second straight season, falling to Colorado (Colo.) 13-9 in the final. Valor had lost to the Mustangs earlier in the season by four goals, and those were its only in-state losses. The Eagles’ two other defeats were against Florida Class 1A champion Lake Highland Prep and Florida Class 2A runner up Vero Beach. Previous: 4

5. La Jolla (Calif.), 15-4

The Vikings avenged their 2021 CIF San Diego Open final loss to Scripps Ranch (Calif.), beating the two-time defending champions 9-8 to claim this year’s title. La Jolla had advanced with a 20-7 win over Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) in the semifinals. Previous: 5

6. Fairview (Colo.), 15-3

The Knights steamrolled ThunderRidge (Colo.) in the quarterfinals but couldn’t avenge an early-season loss to Valor Christian (Colo.) in the Class 5A semifinals. Just like their one-goal loss in the second game of the season, they just came up short, falling 15-14 in overtime to the eventual runner-up. Fairview’s only other loss was against Colorado Academy (Colo.) in the season opener. Previous: 7

7. Santa Margarita (Calif.), 17-3

The Eagles lost to Foothill (Calif.) for a second time this season, failing to win the rematch of their March 1 defeat in the CIF Southern Section final. They avenged their only other loss to Redondo Union (Calif.) by winning their semifinals rematch May 7. Previous: 8

8. Lake Oswego (Ore.), 14-4

The top-seeded Lakers rolled into the state semifinals with a 20-2 win over Newburg (Ore.) in the quarterfinals. Courtney Havel led the attack with three goals and four assists, while Edie Prager added three goals and three assists. Barrett Doan and Kate Anders also had hat tricks with Anders also chipping in an assist. Lake Oswego now meets Oregon Episcopal (Ore.) in the semifinals on May 31, looking for a repeat of an April 1 matchup it won against the Aardvarks, 17-9. Previous: 9

9. Mercer Island (Wash.), 15-1

After two years without playoffs (and no season at all in 2020), the Islanders finally had a chance to repeat as state champions. The senior class that was part of the last Washington state title in 2019 finished the way it started, beating Issaquah (Wash.) 15-3 in the final. Previous: 10

10. Redwood (Calif.), 21-3

The Giants claimed their first North Coast Section Division I championship, beating San Ramon Valley (Calif.) 14-12 in the final May 12. Grace Minturn led all scorers with seven goals, while Megan Minturn and Leslie Lorio each tallied three. Redwood split games with Marin Catholic (Calif.) this season, winning the rematch, and its other losses were by one goal to Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) in March and to St. Ignatius (Calif.). Previous: NR

— Laurel Pfahler

REGIONS

Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

Mid-Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia

South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Atlantic City School Board Wants To Spend $ 10 Million On This? – wpgtalkradio.com

This is the latest scheme that Superintendent La’Quetta Small and the majority of the Atlantic City Board of Education are pursuing.

Atlantic City Board of Education Member John Devlin has confirmed some deeply troubling facts.

The ACBOE is planning to budget $ 10 million to tear down (and build new) at the New Jersey Avenue School … a historic site that could have been saved had the ACBOE not allowed the insurance for the building to lapse in the past.

The new build would be for new administration offices.

Hurricane Super Storm Sandy caused significant water damage, which would have been covered by insurance according to Devlin.

Instead, the ACBOE paid more than $ 1 million for mold abatement and other associated expenses, according to Devlin.

Things got so bad there that former superintendent Barry Caldwell forbid district staff from entering the building due to its deteriorating condition.

The New Jersey Avenue School could have been transformed into the central administration offices, instead of paying more than $500,000 a year in rent, utilities, insurance and more.

To add insult to injury, while planning to spend $ 10 million dollars … at the same time, the ACBOE is spending several million dollars to make substantial improvements at The Citi Center Building at 1300 Atlantic Avenue (where the ACBOE currently rents space), according to Devlin.

“The administration is responsible for an ongoing, wasteful saga,” said Devlin.

“Unfortunately, for all those involved, I don’t see an end in sight. The current plan, initially set in motion photo by former superintendent Barry Caldwell calls $ 10 million-plus in new spending,” said Devlin.

“This is excessive and just not fiscally responsible. Sadly there’s an old adage that seems to fit here. Piss poor planning gives you piss poor results. No way should our tax payers foot the bill for this exorbitant amount of money,” said Devlin.

Former Superintendent Fred Nickles was trying to get the Board of Education out of the massive monthly rental, which costs more than $ 500,000 per-month plus utilities, insurance, etc. many years ago.

Yet, it has continued for more than 20 years.

Earlier the ACBOE discussed a new administration building in the range of $ 4-5 million according to Devlin.

The previous administration building was sufficient for 100 years. Now, it is deemed to be too small, despite declining enrollment in He Atlantic City public school system.

For example, Devlin advised that there are empty wings of space at Atlantic City High School.

All cost-effective options should be explored before obligating the tax payers of Atlantic City for more than $10 million in new spending.

Here’s another look at The New Jersey Avenue School.

Google Maps

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SOURCE: John Devlin, Atlantic City Board of Education Member.

New Jersey’s Latest School Rankings

New Jersey high school graduation rates

The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.

The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.

Columns with an asterisk or ‘N’ indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy.

NJDOT Announces $19.6 Million in Federal Grants for the Safe Routes to School Program – InsiderNJ

TRENTON– New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced $19.6 million for 31 grants under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. This represents the largest amount ever awarded for the program.

“The Safe Routes to School program is a great example of how NJDOT, working with the state’s three regional planning authorities, helps our communities access federal funding for local transportation projects,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “These grants will provide resources to improve sidewalks and bike paths to encourage children to stay active by walking and biking to school.”

The SRTS is a federally-funded program to increase pedestrian safety among motorists and schoolchildren. The program is administered by the NJDOT in partnership with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO).

The program was created to encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bike to school. The goal is to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age. Projects are designed to improve safety, as well as reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools.

Of the 31 grants being awarded to local governments to make pedestrian safety improvements near K-8 schools, 22 grants totaling $13.8 million are within the NJTPA region, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties. Seven grants totaling $4 million are within the DVRPC region, which includes Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties in New Jersey and five counties in Pennsylvania. The final two grants totaling $1.7 million are within the SJTPO region, which includes Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties.

Infrastructure improvement projects to be funded through this program include the construction of sidewalks; pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements; on street bicycle facilities; and the installation of new crosswalks, school-zone markings, and speed-limit signs.

Special consideration was given to applications that addressed equity by providing benefits to underserved communities, low-income residents, minorities, those with limited English proficiency, persons with disabilities, children, and older adults.

Each individual municipality is responsible for implementing their respective SRTS projects. For further details on a specific project, please contact the municipality.

N.J. reports 1,872 COVID cases, 1 death. More than 84M positive tests in U.S. – NJ.com

New Jersey on Tuesday reported 1,872 COVID-19 confirmed positive tests and one confirmed death as the United States has reached over 84 million cases.

The state’s seven-day average for confirmed cases was 3,341 on Tuesday, down 16% from a week ago, but still up 54% from a month ago.

The statewide rate of transmission for Saturday was 1.09. The transmission rate reported daily by the Department of Health were not available Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. When the transmission rate is over 1, that means each new case is leading to at least one additional case and the outbreak is expanding.

There were 844 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases reported across 67 of the state’s 71 hospitals as of Monday night. Four hospitals did not report data. Hospitalizations still remain significantly lower than when they peaked at 6,089 on Jan. 10 during the omicron wave.

There were at least 80 people discharged in the 24-hour period ending Monday, according to state data. Of those hospitalized, 97 were in intensive care and 39 were on ventilators.

The positivity rate for tests conducted on Thursday, the most recent day with available data, was 11.40%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now lists 11 New Jersey counties with “high” transmission rates — Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem and Sussex.

Those in high-risk areas are recommended to wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation and stay up-to-date on vaccinations, according to the CDC.

Ten counties are in the medium risk category: Bergen, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Union and Warren. Masks are not recommended in the medium and low regions.

TOTAL NUMBERS

New Jersey has reported 2,055,353 total confirmed COVID-19 cases out of more than 17.8 million PCR tests conducted in the more than two years since the state reported its first known case March 4, 2020.

The Garden State has also recorded about 339,242 positive antigen or rapid tests, which are considered probable cases. And there are numerous cases that have likely never been counted, including at-home positive tests that are not included in the state’s numbers.

The state of 9.2 million residents has reported 33,702 COVID-19 deaths — 30,633 confirmed fatalities and 3,069 probable ones.

New Jersey has the seventh-most coronavirus deaths per capita in the U.S. — behind Mississippi, Arizona, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee and West Virginia — as of the latest data reported May 17. Last summer, the state had the most deaths per capita in the country.

The latest numbers follow a major study that revealed even a mild case of COVID-19 can significantly affect the brain. Long COVID — the term commonly used to describe symptoms stemming from the virus long after a person no longer tests positive — has been found to affect between 10% and 30% of those who contract the infection, regardless of whether they have a mild or serious case. In New Jersey, that would mean that roughly 600,000 of the more than 2 million who have tested positive for COVID since the onset of the pandemic either have or have had long COVID.

VACCINATION NUMBERS

More than 6.93 million of the 8.46 million eligible people who live, work or study in New Jersey have received the initial course of vaccinations and more than 7.8 million have received a first dose since vaccinations began here on Dec. 15, 2020.

More than 3.79 million people in the state eligible for boosters have received one. That number may rise after the FDA on Tuesday approved booster shots for healthy children between the ages of 5 and 11. U.S. regulators authorized the booster for kids hoping an extra vaccine dose will enhance their protection as infections once again creep upward.

SCHOOL AND LONG-TERM CARE NUMBERS

For the week ending May 22, with 57.8% of schools reporting data, another 10,948 COVID-19 cases were reported among staff (3,066) and students (7,882) across New Jersey’s schools.

Since the start of the academic year, there have been 135,409 students and 40,649 school staff members who have contracted COVID-19 in New Jersey, though the state has never had more than two-thirds of the school districts reporting data in any week.

The state provides total student and staff cases separately from those deemed to be in-school transmission, which is narrowly defined as three or more cases linked through contact tracing.

New Jersey has reported 876 total in-school outbreaks, including 6,234 cases among students and staff. That includes 69 new outbreaks in the latest weekly report ending May 23. The state reported 82 in-school outbreaks the previous week.

At least 9,117 of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, according to state data.

There were active outbreaks at 351 facilities, resulting in 3,883 current cases among residents and 3,589 cases among staff, as of the latest data.

GLOBAL NUMBERS

As of Tuesday, there have been more than 529 million COVID-19 cases reported across the globe, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 6.28 million people died due to the virus.

The U.S. has reported the most cases (more than 84 million) and deaths (at least 1,004,783) of any nation.

There have been more than 11.38 billion vaccine doses administered globally.

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Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DeionRJohhnson

A new warning system is hitting the Jersey Shore – New Jersey 101.5 FM

Last year in South Seaside Park in Berkley Township, Keith Pinto was killed by a lightning strike. He was a lifeguard there and was only 19 years old.

It happened at White Sands Beach by 21st Avenue on August 30. Eight people, four of them lifeguards, were struck by the lightning but only Pinto died.

Now, a shore town just to the north is investing big in a lightning detection system.

Brick officials had already considered the technology before Pinto’s death and decided it was too expensive. His tragedy made them revisit the idea.

They approved $40,000 to be spent on Thor Guard. It’s an early warning system that the township says can give lifeguards a faster heads up to clear the beaches.

The way it works is sensors pick up on lightning within 25 miles and activates a loud siren with a 30 second blast. They say it gives advance warning of possible lightning strikes up to 45 minutes. It will be used in addition to radar and other metrics already in use.

Brick Beach One and Brick Beach Three will have these installed by mid-July.

Dan Santaniello is the township’s recreation director and says beachgoers often don’t believe lifeguards when they are warned a storm is moving their way and actually think those lifeguards are simply trying to get the afternoon off. This, he says, takes away the ambiguity and the arguments that can slow down clearing a beach.

These sirens will be heard within a mile of the devices so they should certainly grab some attention.

Once the sensors pick up no electricity in the vicinity for 30 minutes, a different siren along with a green strobe light go off to serve as an all clear.

Santaniello says Brick conferred with Stafford Township where they’ve already been using the warning system for their athletic complex and officials there say it’s worked quite well.

So, if this catches on, it might become yet another sound synonymous with the Jersey Shore.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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New Jersey – Grants for the Safe Routes to School Program – STL.News

ICYMI: NJDOT Announces $19.6 Million in Federal Grants for the Safe Routes to School Program

TRENTON, NJ (STL.News) New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced $19.6 million for 31 grants under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. This represents the largest amount ever awarded for the program.

“The Safe Routes to School program is a great example of how NJDOT, working with the state’s three regional planning authorities, helps our communities access federal funding for local transportation projects,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “These grants will provide resources to improve sidewalks and bike paths to encourage children to stay active by walking and biking to school.”

Each individual municipality is responsible for implementing their respective SRTS projects. For further details on a specific project, please contact the municipality.