Author: ECCYC

TAP Into Another Town’s News:

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced the creation of the Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs and introduced Newark resident Reginald Bledsoe as its first director on Friday, May 13. The Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs will support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and provide a platform to address issues, advocate for reforms and raise awareness.

“I always say that the strength of Essex County lies in the diversity of our residents, and that includes the LGBTQ community. They have a tremendous role in all sectors of the county, from the arts to education to politics to business and our new LGBTQ Affairs Office will provide a platform for advocacy and raise awareness,” DiVincenzo said. “For years, our LGBTQ Advisory Board has advised my administration and, when they recommended that more attention be given to issues affecting the LGBTQ community, I knew the creation of this office was needed.”

“This is indeed a red-letter day for Essex County and its LGBTQ community. The creation of this office signals that LGBTQ-plus individuals are full members of the Essex County community and that the county government will listen to our concerns, address our needs and respond to our desires,” Bledsoe said. “This office would not exist without the work and advocacy of Essex County Executive Joseph N DiVincenzo, Jr., Chief of Staff Phil Alagia, Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz; Director Anibal Ramos Jr. and the Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board for their efforts to ensure that Essex County becomes an even more welcoming place for LGBTQ people.”

Elected officials and community members lauded the announcement and Bledsoe’s appointment.

“This office will help provide a different lens when we discuss policy, business development and education. This will provide another variable in making decisions to continue putting Essex County first,” Ruiz, who is state senate majority leader, said, adding that Bledsoe brings a unique perspective not only because of his personal experience but because he has worked at every level of government in New Jersey.

“What a day for Essex County. This is long overdue,” said Commissioner President Wayne Richardson, who was accompanied by Commissioners Tyshammie Cooper, Patricia Sebold and Len Luciano.

“Reggie is a tremendous individual who is right for the job,” Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said, adding that his office “upholds the rights of everyone.”

“This is truly a landmark event in Essex County. Creating an office sends a strong message. Our equality, safety and happiness are intersectional,” said Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis, who also serves as co-chairperson of the Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board. “This office will be a place where the LGBTQ community can seek advocacy, support and services, which is truly important at this time. I thank the county executive for being such an incredible ally.” 

“Reggie is the perfect individual for this job and we look forward to working with him,” said Hyacinth Foundation Executive Director Kathy Ahearn-O’Brien, who also serves as co-chairperson of the county’s LGBTQ Advisory Board.

Bledsoe is no stranger to Essex County having been born and raised in Newark, graduated from Essex County Newark Tech, elected as the youngest Democratic district leader in District 5 of Newark’s Central Ward and serving as a member of the Newark Board of Education from 2017 to 2020. He also received the Essex County Pride Award from DiVincenzo in 2017.

He worked in Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration for four years, starting with the N.J. Department of Education before transitioning to the Department of Community Affairs. He also worked as a legislative aide to Essex County Commissioner President Wayne Richardson and former Freeholder President Blonnie Watson. He currently serves as a member of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council.

Previously, Bledsoe served as an advisory board member for New Jersey Child Assault Prevention, a statewide community-based prevention program, and a legislative aide to Newark Councilman Eddie Osborne. He also has served in various capacities with the Newark municipal government, High Park Gardens Cooperative Corp. and the late U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg. He is a former member of the New Jersey Federation of Housing Cooperatives and the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, and has been on the board of directors for United Community Corp., One Voice for LGBTQ Issues and Newark Gay Pride.

He is the recipient of numerous community awards. He was featured in Observer New Jersey’s “List of 50 Powerful Young Black Democrats” in 2015 and as one of “New Jersey’s 30 Under 30: Political Up-and-Comers” in 2016.

The Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs is part of the Essex County Division of Community Action. For information, call 973-395-8350.

  County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Essex County Board of County Commissioners, Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, FEATURED, LGBTQ, Mayor Dean Dafis, Teresa Ruiz

Good Tuesday morning! 

I find it amazing that two years ago, just a few months into the pandemic, we thought we were staring into a budget abyss, and the Murphy administration successfully called for billions in new borrowing.

Yesterday, the Office of Legislative Services predicted two-year revenues would be $6.9 billion greater than the Murphy administration estimated.

Chris Christie called the OLS’ then-budget officer, David Rosen, “Dr. Kevorkian of the numbers” for frequently having lower estimates than the Christie administration. I wonder if Murphy will dub his successor, Thomas Koenig, the “Lazarus of the numbers.”

Anyway, it’s not a bad problem to have. Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo wants a big surplus. Republicans want tax cuts. Speaker Coughlin is calling for the most property tax relief ever.

And here’s two interesting proposals by state Sen. Shirley Turner and Assemblymember Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, who represent Trenton and many nearby towns, and with them a whole lot of state workers. Last week, they proposed two bills that would put an extra $1 billion of pension funding into the upcoming budget, on top of the $6.8 billion Murphy plans, and give every single pension recipient in New Jersey a one-time payment of $300. I’m not sure exactly how many people receive a pension right now but I imagine that would have a price tag of around $1 billion as well.

“We have all this money that we don’t know what to do with. We should not be wasting it frivolously. We should be paying back what we owe,” Turner told me in a phone interview. The $300 payment, Turner said, is meant as a small boost to recipients because they haven’t received cost of living adjustments to their pensions since 2011.

Read more about the revenue forecast from Katherine Landergan here","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/17/new-jersey-officials-forecast-multi-billion-dollar-tax-surge-00032769","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Read more about the revenue forecast from Katherine Landergan here.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 91

WHERE’S MURPHY? — In Newark for a 2 p.m. “entertainment industry announcement.” Media: “Ask Governor Murphy” on News 12 at 5 p.m.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If a pre-operative transgender women still has an appendage reminiscent of sex assigned at birth and is incarcerated with cisgender women and has sex, the stork doesn’t have to go through your metal detectors and I imagine that this is something that we had to know could happen as the policy was being developed. Was there a plan? How do we deal with this in the future?”” — Assemblymember Raj Mukherjito Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2022/05/nj-prisons-corrections-chief-lawmakers-budget-committee-want-answers-staffing-overtime-transgender-inmate-policy/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>to Corrections Commissioner Victoria Kuhn

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — State Sen. Andrew Zwicker, former Assemblymember Serena DiMaso, GOP fundraiser Lawrence Bathgate, Bergen Clerk John Hogan, former Edison mayor Jun Choi, Norcross aide Ginamarie Cordero, Virtua’s Cort Adelman

TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"mailto:mfriedman@politico.com","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc40007","_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-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc50000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc50001","_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

DEP — Lawmakers fear New Jersey DEP is understaffed, behind on its job,","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/05/lawmakers-worry-new-jerseys-environmental-protection-agency-is-understaffed-and-behind-on-its-job-00032758","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Lawmakers fear New Jersey DEP is understaffed, behind on its job, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Several members of the Assembly budget committee practically begged the head of Department of Environmental Protection on Monday to ask for a larger budget and more staff. During a three-hour budget hearing, members, including Assemblymember John McKeon (D-Essex), repeatedly questioned whether the agency has enough people to protect the environment. McKeon worried that staffing issues have delayed important rulemaking, including the rollout of regulations meant to reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change and to protect low-income communities and communities of color from industrial pollution. The department has yet to release rules that would give force to the landmark environmental justice law Gov. Phil Murphy signed 20 months ago.

SANS SANZARI — New Jersey’s representative on Waterfront Commission abruptly steps down, ","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/article/2022/05/new-jerseys-representative-on-waterfront-commission-abruptly-steps-down-00032870","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>New Jersey’s representative on Waterfront Commission abruptly steps down, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Joseph Sanzari, the owner of a major North Jersey-based construction firm, abruptly resigned as New Jersey’s representative on the bi-state Waterfront Commission. The resignation was announced Monday evening by Gov. Phil Murphy’s office. No reason was given by the governor’s office. Sanzari could not be reached for comment. No one answered the phone at his construction firm, Joseph M. Sanzari Inc. Late last year, Murphy appointed Sanzari to the commission that was created in the 1950s to tamp down on thievery and corruption on the docks. New Jersey has been trying for years to exit the commission but its departure is now on hold at least temporarily because of a U.S. Supreme Court case filed by New York.

ASSEMBLYMAN CHALLENGES BIG BOX — “Assembly committee clears cardboard box regulations over republican, business objections","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/assembly-committee-clears-cardboard-box-regulations-over-republican-business-objections/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Assembly committee clears cardboard box regulations over republican, business objections,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee today approved Assemblyman John McKeon (D-West Orange)’s bill to ban large retailers from shipping products in boxes more than twice the volume of the product, but not before a number of business group representatives and Republican legislators noted the myriad problems the bill could cause. McKeon first proposed the legislation three months ago, after he received a small car sticker in a huge cardboard box and realized state law should address oversized packaging … Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-Denville), however, argued that such legislation is unnecessary – virtually all shipping, after all, is done using easy-to-recycle cardboard boxes – and would be a burdensome imposition on businesses. ‘This isn’t even a serious bill,’ Bergen said. ‘This is a horrendous piece of legislation. It’s obviously not well-thought out; there are just an unimaginable amount of examples for ways in which this can’t possibly work.’ Joining Bergen in opposition to the bill were a number of lobbyists and representatives from business associations who pointed out that a broad ban on oversized packaging could have all sorts of unintended consequences.”

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER — “Could extending retirement age help fix NJ judge shortage?","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://nj1015.com/could-extending-retirement-age-help-fix-nj-judge-shortage/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Could extending retirement age help fix NJ judge shortage?” by NJ 101.5’s Michael Symons: “New Jersey’s judiciary is short on judges but could get a lifeline through longer life expectancy. An Assembly committee last week advanced a bill (A3165) that would raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and county prosecutors by two years, from age 70 to age 72. The idea still faces a number of hurdles and would need to be approved by voters in a referendum for it to apply to the state’s judiciary. Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, said the idea isn’t really about vacancies, though around 16% of judicial seats are currently unfilled. It’s about life expectancy, McKeon said. When the retirement age of 70 was set in the 1947 state constitution, most judges were men and their average life expectancy was 64. It’s now 77 for the average American … Even if the bill were to pass, the retirement age for Supreme Court justices and Superior Court judges couldn’t increase until voters agree to amend the state constitution. But it could go up immediately for administrative law judges, workers’ compensation judges and county prosecutors.”

GAMBLING IS ADDICTIVE —  “As gambling addictions surge, N.J. lawmakers study limits on sports betting ads","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/sports/2022/05/as-gambling-addictions-surge-nj-lawmakers-study-limits-on-sports-betting-ads.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>As gambling addictions surge, N.J. lawmakers study limits on sports betting ads,” by NJ Advance Media’s Keith Sargeant: “Ralph Caputo turned on his television and was outraged by what he saw. The Democratic Assemblyman from Essex County couldn’t get through a channel surf without being hit with a commercial for a sports betting site. ‘This over marketing and advertising is obnoxious,’ Caputo said. ‘It’s obscene. You can’t turn the television on without being hammered by an ad. I’m old enough not to be entrapped. But there are a lot of young people who are being influenced by these ads. It’s very upsetting to see.’ Caputo expressed his disbelief last week during a state legislative hearing on the surge of sports betting. As chair of the state Assembly’s tourism, gaming and arts committee, Caputo helped lead New Jersey’s efforts to legalize sports betting in 2018. And more than anyone, he knows how the $10 billion-a-year industry has benefitted New Jersey, with $200 million in tax revenue since 2018, including $102.6 million last year. But Caputo realizes it has come at a cost. A new generation of sports bettors are just one smartphone app from ruin.”

— Murphy, in wake of Buffalo shooting, tells pro-gun politicians to ‘shove their thoughts and prayers’","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/05/murphy-in-wake-of-buffalo-shooting-tells-pro-gun-politicians-to-shove-their-thoughts-and-prayers-00032697","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Murphy, in wake of Buffalo shooting, tells pro-gun politicians to ‘shove their thoughts and prayers’

—“Drivers fleeing a crash with multiple victims can only be charged once, court rules","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/05/16/drivers-fleeing-crashes-with-multiple-victims-can-only-be-charged-once-court-rules/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000c","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000d","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Drivers fleeing a crash with multiple victims can only be charged once, court rules” 

—“NJ MVC could be forced to make things more convenient for drivers","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://nj1015.com/nj-mvc-could-be-forced-to-make-things-more-convenient-for-drivers/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000e","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc8000f","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>NJ MVC could be forced to make things more convenient for drivers” 

—“Cryan ‘disappointed’ by Murphy’s conditional veto of bribery bill","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/cryan-disappointed-by-murphys-conditional-veto-of-bribery-bill/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80010","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80011","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Cryan ‘disappointed’ by Murphy’s conditional veto of bribery bill” 

—“N.J. ‘looking at’ how to respond to new COVID surge, Murphy says","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2022/05/nj-looking-at-how-to-respond-to-new-covid-surge-murphy-says.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80012","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80013","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. ‘looking at’ how to respond to new COVID surge, Murphy says” 

—“Ex-NJ transportation chief given go ahead to lead Gateway tunnel commission. Now NJ and NY have to agree on funding plan","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/news/2022/05/ex-nj-transportation-chief-hired-to-head-gateway-tunnel-commission-now-nj-and-ny-have-to-agree-on-funding-plan.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80014","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80015","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Ex-NJ transportation chief given go ahead to lead Gateway tunnel commission. Now NJ and NY have to agree on funding plan” 

—“Jones, Lawrence join Murphy press shop","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/governor/jones-lawrence-join-murphy-press-shop/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80016","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80017","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Jones, Lawrence join Murphy press shop” 

—“N.J. to use federal COVID funds to help fire departments with safety equipment","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/05/nj-to-use-federal-covid-funds-to-help-fire-departments-with-safety-equipment.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80018","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc80019","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>N.J. to use federal COVID funds to help fire departments with safety equipment” 

—“Murphy taps new prosecutors in Atlantic, Burlington","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://newjerseyglobe.com/governor/murphy-taps-new-prosecutors-in-atlantic-burlington/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc90000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fc90001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Murphy taps new prosecutors in Atlantic, Burlington” 

LET FREDON RING — “Flora targets ‘grassroots’ republicans to the right of Kean","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/flora-targets-grassroots-republicans-right-kean/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Flora targets ‘grassroots’ republicans to the right of Kean,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “John Flora says the problem began years ago – back in the 1960’s. ‘We lost academia,’ Flora told about 40 supporters Thursday at an Italian restaurant on Stanton Road. By that, he meant many of the nation’s institutions succumbed to liberal influences and nothing has changed for generations. He ticked off universities, the public school system and the media as prone to anti-family, anti-religious and anti-capitalist biases. Flora is the mayor of Fredon in Sussex County, but what brought him to the heart of Hunterdon County on a lovely spring evening was his candidacy for the CD-7 Republican congressional nomination. Flora’s view that left wingers began infiltrating the nation’s core years ago and have not stopped is not novel. It is, in fact, a standard conservative talking point. Still, he thinks he can earn enough ‘grassroots’ support to become the conservative alternative to Thomas H. Kean Jr., the perceived frontrunner for the nomination and the right to take on Tom Malinowski.”

IT’S MAILER TIME —”POLITICO is bringing transparency to this year’s midterm congressional elections by shining a light on how campaigns and outside groups are using political mailers to target, persuade and talk to voters.” Read more about the project here and submit your mailers to POLITICO here","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://politico.forms.fm/we-want-to-see-your-political-mailers-send-us-photos-of-campaign-ads-you-receive-in-the-mail-and-help-bring-more-transparency-to-elections/forms/9242/responses/new","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>submit your mailers to POLITICO here.

—Brindle: “US Supreme Court support for Rhode Island disclosure law is good news","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/us-supreme-court-support-for-rhode-island-disclosure-law-is-good-news/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>US Supreme Court support for Rhode Island disclosure law is good news” 

—Snowflack: “CD3 Flashpoint: ‘Singing about killing versus killing’","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.insidernj.com/cd3-flashpoint-singing-about-killing-versus-killing/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc0009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>CD3 Flashpoint: ‘Singing about killing versus killing’” 

—“Varela loaned his 8th District congressional campaign $595k before HCDO petition challenge","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://hudsoncountyview.com/varela-loaned-his-8th-district-congressional-campaign-595k-before-hcdo-petition-challenge/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcc000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Varela loaned his 8th District congressional campaign $595k before HCDO petition challenge” 

CHEFF BOYAR FEE — “Feds say Paterson sergeant took money for his silence on police beatings of suspects","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2022/05/16/nj-police-misconduct-paterson-cop-bribed-silence-beatings-shakedowns/9762886002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Feds say Paterson sergeant took money for his silence on police beatings of suspects,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Did five crooked Paterson cops give a portion of the money they stole from drug dealers to their sergeant to keep him quiet about their assaults on suspects? That’s what the United States Attorney’s Office said in pretrial motions in the federal case against Sgt. Michael Cheff. The other five cops — Jonathan Bustios, Daniel Pent, Eudy Ramos, Frank Toledo and Matthew Torres — pleaded guilty more than two years ago to various civil rights crimes, including making illegal searches, assaults and theft. They were fired from their jobs at the time of their convictions. But federal authorities have delayed their prison sentences so they could possibly testify against Cheff in a trial set to start in U.S. District Court in Newark this week. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday … ‘Evidence that Cheff helped conceal acts of excessive force shows he knowingly and willfully participated in the charged conspiracy,’ the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a motion filed last week. ‘That will help explain why, as a supervisor of employees paid less than he was, he knowingly accepted payments from the officers for his silence,’ federal authorities said in the motion.”

CHALLENGING THE GOLDEN RULE — “Monmouth GOP primary voters have a choice: America First or the party of Golden","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/elections/2022/05/16/monmouth-gop-primary-election-pits-america-first-against-county-leadership/9644339002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Monmouth GOP primary voters have a choice: America First or the party of Golden,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Susanne Cervenka: “The words they came to hear Thursday night were stock-in-trade Republican messages: supporting businesses, Second Amendment rights, cutting bureaucracy and taxes. Oh, and did we mention taxes? ‘Raise your hand if your property taxes are too low,’ urged Daniel Francisco, who is running for Monmouth County Commissioner. His question was met not with raised hands but rolls of laughter from the audience. Francisco, an Englishtown councilman and former Project Veritas executive director, is one key sign that this GOP campaign outreach — and the June primary overall — have a different political air than in past elections. He is among the “America First GOP” team across three Central Jersey counties that are bucking the GOP establishment and putting their full weight behind a party primary challenge on June 7. The America First GOP slate marks the first time in a decade that Monmouth County Republican Organization has had a full-throated challenge in a primary”

I’M INCLUDING THIS ARTICLE TO CURRY FAVOR WITH BRENDAN GILL — “Why this Montclair teacher has kept an empty chair in his classroom for 52 years","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/local/2022/05/16/montclair-nj-schools-glenfield-teacher-daniel-gill-book-empty-chair/9702637002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Why this Montclair teacher has kept an empty chair in his classroom for 52 years,” by The Record’s Julia Martin: “When Daniel Gill was 9 years old, he was invited to a birthday party in his apartment building in Manhattan’s Washington Heights. He brought his best friend, Archie, and they rang the bell, holding wrapped presents. The mom opened the door, and her gaze fell on Archie, who is Black. ‘We have no more chairs,’ she said. Daniel was confused. He’d been in the apartment before and knew there was plenty of seating. He offered to sit on the floor, and then to get more chairs, but she repeated, ‘There’s no more chairs.’ Finally it dawned on him that she was telling him that he was welcome, but Archie was not. The two friends handed the woman the presents and went back to Gill’s apartment, both crying. Gill lost touch with Archie in high school, but the story has never left him … It was with him as he raised his three children. The oldest, Brendan, now an Essex County commissioner, remembers asking his father as a young boy why he had a tiny chair on his key ring, and hearing the story. It was with him as he retold the story to generations of Montclair students over 52 years of teaching. He keeps an empty chair in the center of his classroom, so students know ‘this is an accepting place,’ Gill said. ‘When they forget that, I point to the chair.’”

—“[Hopewell Valley] teacher preyed on girls, sexually assaulted student in locked classroom, lawsuit alleges","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/mercer/2022/05/teacher-preyed-on-girls-sexually-assaulted-student-in-locked-classroom-lawsuit-alleges.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0006","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0007","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>[Hopewell Valley] teacher preyed on girls, sexually assaulted student in locked classroom, lawsuit alleges” 

—“Here’s how much money [$600,000] Hackensack has spent trying to fire two police officers","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/hackensack/2022/05/16/nj-police-misconduct-hackensack-legal-bills-mount-effort-fire-cops/9569493002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0008","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf0009","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Here’s how much money [$600,000] Hackensack has spent trying to fire two police officers” 

—“Sex education debate: Parents’ Bill of Rights gains Ocean County support","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/ocean-county/2022/05/16/nj-sex-ed-curriculum-ocean-county-supports-parents-bill-rights/9774131002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000a","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000b","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Sex education debate: Parents’ Bill of Rights gains Ocean County support” 

—“How a Holmdel July 26 special election could bring changes to local elections, government","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/red-bank-middletown-area/holmdel/2022/05/16/holmdel-nj-special-july-election-change-local-elections-government/9661267002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000c","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000d","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>How a Holmdel July 26 special election could bring changes to local elections, government” 

—“How Red Bank’s charter study could mean big changes to local government","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/red-bank-middletown-area/red-bank/2022/05/16/red-bank-nj-charter-study-commission-change-government/9661253002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000e","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fcf000f","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>How Red Bank’s charter study could mean big changes to local government” 

MADONNA’S ELEVATION IS LIKE A NORCROSS PRAYER — “Vernon Hill ousted as chairman of Republic bank after key board ally dies","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.inquirer.com/news/vernon-hill-republic-bank-ouster-norcross-cohen-20220514.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30000","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30001","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Vernon Hill ousted as chairman of Republic bank after key board ally dies,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Joseph N. DiStefano: “A boardroom coup following the death of a key ally on the divided Republic First Bancorp Inc. board has forced veteran Moorestown banker Vernon Hill from his post as the chairman of the board of the Philadelphia company, which operates Republic Bank and its 33 branches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Hill was replaced by Harry Madonna, stepping back into a role he held before he and Hill became adversaries in a fight for control … Flocco and Hill formed part of a four-member faction on the Republic board that had locked horns with Hill’s critics and prevented moves against him and his policies. The dissidents … are siding with longtime South Jersey insurance broker, hospital executive, and Democratic Party kingmaker George Norcross. The group didn’t wait for Flocco’s funeral Mass, scheduled for Wednesday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Marlton, to exploit his death by using their new majority to call for a board vote they expected Hill would lose.”

—“Once trapped in Afghanistan, father and son find footing at Monmouth Park Racetrack","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.app.com/story/news/local/values/2022/05/16/afghanistan-refugees-monmouth-park-jobs/9712266002/","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30002","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30003","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Once trapped in Afghanistan, father and son find footing at Monmouth Park Racetrack” 

—“The greatest restaurant in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties","link":{"target":"NEW","attributes":[],"url":"https://www.nj.com/food/2022/05/the-greatest-restaurant-in-each-of-new-jerseys-21-counties.html","_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30004","_type":"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_id":"00000180-d1bb-d243-a1c9-f9fb4fd30005","_type":"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>The greatest restaurant in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties” 

Gov. Phil Murphy is encouraging local school districts to enact new mask mandates for students and staff if they are in high transmission areas for COVID, but will not impose a statewide mandate, for now.

Murphy says his administration is “looking at what options we need to take,” but says predictive modeling from the Department of Health indicates the current wave will peak in the “next week or two.”

As more New Jersey counties move from moderate to high transmission levels, individual school districts have announced a return to masking.

Prospect Park Elementary School is the latest to mandate universal masking of students and staff until further notice.

“School districts,” Murphy said, “Particularly if they’re in those counties (that have a high transmission rate), have every right to say, ‘Listen, we need the kids and educators to put masks back on when they’re indoors.”

When asked about making it a state directive, Murphy replied, “no news to make today.”

On Monday, Metuchen announced a return to masking on school buses and inside all school buildings until further notice.

The South Orange-Maplewood School district is requiring masks at the Clinton and South Mountain Elementary schools, and strongly encouraging them for other schools.

Based on the latest metrics on the CDC’s data tracker, all residents are being urged to resume universal masking both indoors and outside in the nine counties where transmission rates are high.

Those counties are: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean and Sussex.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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

See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State

Editor’s Note: Many zoos in the U.S. have closed their bird exhibits, to protect animals from a recent outbreak of avian influenza, which has been killing birds across the country.

Bruce Springsteen once dubbed the Garden State “Jungleland.” 

He was not referring to an actual jungle, of course, rather singing about electrically charged Jersey nights. Nonetheless, you don’t have to drive very far to escape to the jungles of the Garden State, where you can find tamarins chattering in trees.

Our state has many zoos that are home to hundreds of exotic animals, offering a chance to walk on the wild side.

By visiting these zoos, patrons have not only the opportunity to see species they will never see in their own backyards, but also a way to support the many conservational efforts AZA-accredited (American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums) zoos undertake to save and protect endangered species.

“Conservation is going to take each and every one of us. It’s not just a researcher or someone in a lab, it’s every person on the planet that needs to come together to impact animal species and the ecosystems they rely on,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Jillian Fazio said.

To support ecosystems around the world, and have a fun day with your family this summer, consider a trip to these New Jersey zoos, from West Orange to Cape May:

The Cape May County Zoo was created in 1978 within the Cape May County Park. It was dedicated on May 6, 1978. In the beginning, it featured a limited number of animals, including an African lion, primates (spider monkeys), various barnyard animals, and New Jersey wildlife animals. The zoo has grown considerably since it opened. Today the zoo features about 550 animals representing 250 species.

Biggest attractions: The giraffes, zebras, river otters and “big cats” are some of the zoo’s most popular inhabitants.

A popular destination, the “World of Birds” walk-through aviary is temporarily closed to the public for the safety of the birds because of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain spreading along the East Coast (“bird flu”).

Earth Day Celebration, Conservation Day, Night Walks, Princess & Pirate Day, Boo at the Zoo, Zoo Yoga, Easter ExtravaganZoo, Santa’s Tree Lighting Celebration and Dreamnight are among the zoo’s special events.

Visitors are invited to ride the wildlife carousel, open on weekends in the spring and fall, weather permitting. From June 19 through Labor Day, it will operate seven days a week. Tickets are available in the Zoovenirs shop. On your way out of the zoo, visit the photo booth for a souvenir penny.

The zoo also offers guided tours and animal encounters for a fee.

If children have some energy left after visiting the zoo, plan to stop by the park’s playgrounds and picnic areas, which are just outside the zoo entrance. The county park also features nature trails, disc golf, pavilion and gazebo rentals, a fishing pond and a Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park. Details are available on the website.

Amenities: The park has several food and drink options (outside food is not allowed except for baby food and water) including various kiosks and the Safari Café. A new Safari Café was scheduled to open summer 2021, but a new opening date has not been announced.

The Lion’s Den Gift Shop, just outside the zoo entrance, has gifts, souvenirs and an ATM available.

The zoo also has a Zooveniers gift shop, which is open “seasonally.” Visitors may purchase tickets for the wildlife carousel at this shop. 

Bathrooms with changing tables are available. 

Free wifi is available in the zoo.

Parking: Plenty of free parking is available. 

Accessibility info: The zoo has accessible bathrooms and designated parking spaces are available adjacent to the entrance. All of the zoo paths are paved or boardwalk.

Strollers, wheelchairs and motorized scooter rentals are available at the Lion’s Den Gift Shop. Call (609) 465-0971 for reservations or information.

The zoo hosts a Dreamnight, an event for children with special needs or who are chronically ill.

Tickets: Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Season passes: N/A

Membership discounts or benefits: The Cape May County Zoological Society raises funds to support the zoo and all of the animals. Members receive discounts on food, merchandise and most education programs; a subscription to “ZooNews,” the society’s quarterly newsletter; and reciprocal privileges with affiliated zoos and aquariums across the country. For details, call (609) 465-9300 or visit capemayzoosociety.org.

COVID restrictions: Guests are asked to keep six feet away from other “groups” and asked not to visit if they are feeling unwell.

Hours: Zoo is open daily, except Christmas Day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. early March through early November; 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. early November through early March. County park hours are 7 a.m. to dusk.

Go: 707 North Route 9, Cape May Court House, (609) 465-5271; www.cmczoo.com  

Social media channels: Facebook: @capemaycountyparkzoo. Twitter/Instagram: @CapeMayZoo. YouTube: youtube.com/user/zoosoc 

The Bergen County Zoo, located in Van Saun County Park, became New Jersey’s first AZA-accredited zoo in 1986, after opening as a small children’s zoo in 1960. 

Since then they have expanded to feature over 50 different species, and a thousand animals from the Americas.

“Our mission is to help species and their ecosystems survive, and educate [others] on how we can reduce our footprint on this planet, saving species for future generations,” Zoo Director Marianne Vella said. 

Biggest attractions: While their most popular residents are spider monkeys, bison, elk, mountain lions, condors and tamarins, the alligator, prairie dog and red wolf exhibits also are must-visits.

Upcoming events include the Wildlife Art Exhibit on May 21, featuring local artists displays, demonstrations and prizes; and World Ocean Day on June 5, featuring speakers from Sea Turtle Recovery and The Hackensack River Keeper.

Popular holiday celebrations include Winter Wonderland (from Black Friday until February), which features ice skating, food trucks, games, music, carousel and train rides; and the Let It Glow Lantern Festival (from November to January on Thursday through Sunday nights), when lighted animal sculptures created by Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc. decorate the zoo. 

Amenities: There is a gift shop, train ride and carousel (both are $2 per person per ride), and a Splash Park, located in the park’s playground. It is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and includes sprinklers and water features, shaped like frogs and flowers, for children to run through.

Parking: Free.

Accessibility info: The zoo features handicap parking, accessible bathrooms and accessible pathways. The train and carousel are equipped for wheelchair access.

Tickets: Tickets for Bergen County residents are $4 for adults, $2 for children, and $1 for seniors and those with disabilities. Tickets for non-residents are $8, $5 and $2, respectively. Admission is free to military.

Season passes/Memberships: Individual memberships for $35, dual memberships (two people at the same address) for $50, and family memberships (2 adults and up to 4 kids) for $75 allow free admission, 10% discount on gift shop purchases, members-only event invites, discounted admission for special seasonal exhibits, preferred ticket purchasing for special events, and unlimited free or discounted admission to over 130 zoos and aquariums nationwide.

Sustaining membership (permits a family) for $100 has all the same benefits as the family membership, but allows five free guest passes and a personalized certificate. Contributing membership for $150 follows the same model, but allows 10 free guest passes and a special zoo gift. 

COVID restrictions: Masks are required in the gift shop. 

Hours: This zoo is open year round, with plenty of holiday celebrations throughout the winter. Daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Go: 216 Forest Ave., Paramus, 201-634-3100; co.bergen.nj.us/bergen-county-zoo/zoo-main or friendsofbergencountyzoo.org

Social media channels: Facebook: @BerganCountyZoo; Instagram: @BergenCountyZoo

The Cohanzick Zoo, New Jersey’s first zoo, opened in 1934. Nearly 100 animals representing more than 45 species from around the world call the zoo home. It is situated on about 15 acres in the City of Bridgeton’s 1,100 acre park.

Biggest attractions: Bengal tigers Rishi and Mahesha, cougars Nakia and Shuri, and Holly, an Asiatic black bear, are among visitor favorites.  

The zoo is known for events including Coati Day, on Feb. 1, where the zoo’s coati (or coatamundis), Floriemel, Carmela and Margarita, predict the arrival of spring; KidsFest, a celebration of spring with face painting, crafts and entertainment; Boo at the Zoo, a Halloween celebration; and Zoo Camp, which offers close encounters with favorite critters, crafts and more.

Amenities: A concession stand is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends, May through September. Bathrooms with changing tables are available. Also, during the summer the city’s Splash Park and Mini-Golf, which are adjacent to the zoo, are open.

Parking: Free, small lot adjacent to the zoo. 

Accessibility info: The zoo has accessible bathrooms and designated parking spaces are available adjacent to the entrance. All of the zoo paths are paved or boardwalk. 

Tickets: Free, donations welcome.  

Season passes: N/A 

Membership discounts or benefits: Supporters are invited to join the Cohanzick Zoological Society, which provides support for the animals and funds renovations and capital improvements; supporters may also adopt an animal or a memorial/sponsorship bench; supporters may also visit cohanzickzoo.org/support/our-wish-list/ to learn other ways to support the zoo animals. 

Hours: Zoo is open daily, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, spring and summer, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, fall and winter (may be closed occasionally due to inclement weather.) 

Go: 45 Mayor Aitken Drive, Bridgeton City Park, 856-453-1658 or 856-453-1675; Cohanzickzoo.org

Social media channels: Facebook: @BridgetonPark&Zoo-BPAZ; Instagram: @cohanzickzoo

Popcorn Park was founded in 1977, when the Associated Humane Societies saved and treated a racoon caught in a leg-hold trap. 

After giving the helpless animal a home, the sanctuary became a haven for animals that were in bad situations, ill or dying. There are now more than 200 inhabitants of the park. 

“We have eight large cats, 10 primates, three bears, a cavy, a capybara, five equine, several sheep, goats, cows, llamas, (birds), tortoises and turtles, and other reptiles like iguanas and caimans,” said Park Director John Bergmann, who has been with Popcorn Park since the beginning. 

“We’re very fortunate to be able to do the things we have done here for the last 45 years.”

Biggest attractions: Their most popular inhabitants are Kya, the blind white tiger; Seven, the draft horse; Eli and Jess, who are sibling Bengal tigers, and three baboon brothers. 

Amenities: Cold drinks, ice cream, popcorn and peanuts are available at the park, which also has a picnic area. Although visitors cannot feed most of the animals at the farm, they can feed roaming birds and certain farm animals popcorn and peanuts. 

Parking: Free.

Animals at the Shore: Emus and tigers and bears, oh my! 5 animal sanctuaries to visit at the Jersey Shore

Accessibility info: The sandy terrain of Popcorn Park Refuge is not conducive to standard wheelchairs or strollers. Upon request, a beach terrain wheelchair is available. There also is handicap parking right near the zoo’s entrance.

Tickets: Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and children ages 3 through 11, and free for military and children under 3. 

Season passes/memberships: A family pass or single pass (with two guests), for $75 and $60 respectively, gives guests five visits per year. 

There is also a “Golden Opportunity” pass for grandparents for $50, that allows them to bring grandchildren (age 12 and under) for seven visits that year. For unlimited visits for one visitor and one guest, there is a “Sustaining” pass for $90.

Hours: The park is open year round from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with last admission at 4:15 p.m.

Go: 1 Humane Way, Forked River section of Lacey, 609-693-1900; ahscares.org/popcorn-park

Social media channels: Facebook: @PopcornParkZoo;  Instagram: @ahspopcornpark

A century-old zoo where you can watch wild cats feast, feed deer by hand and see a museum with historical artifacts. That’s what you will find at Space Farms in Beemersville.

Founded in 1927 by “Grandma and Grandpa Space” (Ralph and Elizabeth Space) with just a quarter acre of land, Space Farms started out as a general country store and repair shop.

The destination now has nearly 500 animals including big cats, reptiles, bears, deer, elk, emus, kangaroos and more. Co-owner Parker Space (grandson to Ralph, and son of Fred, who passed last year at age 92) operates the park with the help of his wife Jill, son Hunter and daughter-in-law Caitlyn, who is expecting the newest member of the Space Farm family in May.

“It’s a family-friendly atmosphere and a family-run zoo,” Parker Space said of the entirely privately funded zoo.

Biggest attractions: Although feeding deer and other small animals is a top activity at Space Farms, the most popular exhibits are the bears (black bears, grizzlies and Syrian grizzlies), who like to interact with the visitors from afar for treats, and big cats (lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and more), who are fed fresh meat every day at 2 p.m. 

A museum on the farm that displays historical artifacts collected by the Space Family throughout the years, features 45 historical cars, including covered wagons and roasters, as well as a collection of guns, some dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Amenities: Food and refreshments are available, such as pizza, chicken fingers or hot dogs. Feed/corn kernels for the “hoof-stock” animals (goats, sheep, etc.), and animal cookies for the larger animals (bears, monkeys, etc.), are $2.25 per bag.

Parking: Free.

Accessibility info: All pathways are paved, and there is handicap parking and handicap accessible bathrooms. 

Tickets: Tickets are $22 for adults (13 and older), $18 for children (12 and under) and $21 for seniors (65 and older). 

Season passes/Memberships: Season passes which allow unlimited visits and a 10% discount at the gift shop, are $44 for adults, $36 for children (12 and under), and $42 for seniors (65 and older).

Hours: The farm opens April 1 and closes the first week of November. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 

Go: 218 County Road 519, Sussex, 973-875-5800; spacefarms.com.

Social media channels: Facebook: @spacefarms; Instagram: @spacefarmszooandmuseum

Rated the top zoo in the state by Trip Advisor, as well as one of the fastest growing zoos of its size by AZA, The Turtle Back Zoo’s motto is “the world in your backyard.”

The zoo now has over 200 different animals from every continent, but it was not always that way.

Just a few years ago, the zoo was much smaller, not AZA-accredited and lacked the educational opportunities it does today, attracting only 2000 visitors per year.

With the help of Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, credited with saving the zoo from closure when he took over in 2002, and zoological professionals like zoo Director Jillian Fazio, who specializes in conservational efforts, it now welcomes nearly one million patrons from across the country each year. 

“There was nothing here, every exhibit was very outdated and old, there were no educational programs,” DiVincenzo said. “We had to build it from the bottom up and now, 20 years later, every exhibit in the zoo has been expanded.”

“We’re in a highly urbanized area where we have the ability to impact a significant number of people,” Fazio said. “With about 30 acres, people can come see animals from all over the globe, and learn about our conservation efforts for species in the wild.”

Biggest attractions: The zoo features international exhibits like “Amazing Asia” with animals like amur leopards, red pandas and gibbons; the “Australian Exhibit” with animals like kangaroos, wallabies and emus; and the “Wild New Jersey” exhibit, with animals like bobcats, ravens, porcupines and more.

Established in 2016, its largest exhibit is “African Adventure.” While home to beasts like lions, hyenas, penguins and tortoises, some of its most popular residents are the Masai giraffes. 

The touch tank building offers visitors the opportunity to interact with cow nose rays, Atlantic rays and Epaulette sharks, and exhibits that visitors can enjoy but not touch (like the Indo-Pacific Reef Exhibit with clown fish, tangs and damsel fish). Additionally, the building houses Larry, the rare, one-in 30-million orange lobster, who was found in a local grocery store.

Partnered with the non-profit Sea Turtle Recovery, the zoo hosts the Prudential Sea Turtle Recovery care facility, where they treat and re-release injured and sick turtles.

Visitors also can enjoy the walk-through butterfly exhibit Memorial Day through Labor Day. Monarchs were tagged this year and re-released as part of a conservational effort for migration. 

From November through January, the zoo also hosts its annual free “Holiday Lights Spectacular,” featuring over 50 winter and animal characters, and twinkling lights throughout the venue. 

Amenities: Single and double stroller rentals are available for $7 and $10, respectively. The Savanna Cafe is located just inside the entrance of the zoo (to the left), featuring drinks, chips, and bites like burgers and sandwiches. The zoo also has a gift shop for themed souvenirs. 

The property is shared with the Orange Reservoir, which offers a walking path around the lake and boating opportunities on swan-shaped paddle boats during the summer. There is also a playground, mini-golf course and Treetop Adventure Course on the property.

Parking: Free, with additional parking garage space that is also free.

Accessibility info: The entire zoo is handicap accessible, with paved pathways and barrier-free exhibits. The train has a car designed specifically for wheelchair access, and the carousel has a bench for visitors who cannot climb onto the backs of the endangered species figurines. Wheelchairs also are available to use for free.

Tickets: Cost of admission for adults (13 and over) is $14, $12 for children (2 to 12) and seniors (62 and over), and free for children under 2.

Membership and Benefits: Members can unlock unlimited visits, and other benefits, at $105 for individuals, $130 for individuals plus one guest, $155 for families (two named adults and up to four children), or $175 for a family, plus one caregiver (an unnamed adult). 

Benefits include 15% off the total food catering bill for events hosted at the Zoo, nearby Codey Arena or Verona Boathouse; 15% off purchases at the Savanna Cafe (during the months of April and October); 15% off at the gift shop; 15% off educational programs (camps excluded); early registration for select educational programming; exclusive exhibit previews and access to members-only events; early registration and discounts on Zoological Society of New Jersey events; privileges at more than 110 other affiliated zoos across the country; free subscription to the Society’s newsletters; and discounts from select business partners.

Hours: The zoo is open year-round, with some animals outside all season. Some habitats move indoors. There are also exhibits that are fully indoors all year, such as Penguin Coast, Reptile House and the aquarium. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. 

Go: 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange., 973-731-5800; turtlebackzoo.com

Social media channels: Facebook: @TurtleBackZoo; Instagram: @officialturtlebackzoo  Twitter: @TurtleBackZoo

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.

Send community news and event items to Lisa Voit at lvoit@gannett.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription to The Daily Journal/Courier Post/Burlington County Times.

Parts of this story were previously published.

UPDATE 5/18 10 a.m.: Prosecutors have released an artists’ rendering of the man being sought for the sexual assault of a runner along a trail in Franklin on Monday.

FRANKLIN (Somerset) — Law enforcement are investigating a sexual assault reported along part of the Delaware & Raritan Canal park trail on Monday.

Township police responded to a 911 call around 6 p.m. from a female runner, who reported being attacked by a man who had been passing on a bicycle near Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road.

The woman said that the unknown man got off of his bike while she was running and tackled her to the ground, according to Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.

As the man tried to sexually assault her, the woman was able to fight back and escape from the assault, immediately dialing for help.

The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment and released.

Police said that the attacker is described as a Hispanic male in his mid 30s, with a heavier build, and about 5 feet 7 inches.

He was last seen wearing black pants or shorts, a green hoodie and a blue gator face covering — and fled the area on his bicycle.

The attack was reported in the area of the Six Mile Run trail, a spokesperson for the prosecutor confirmed to New Jersey 101.5.

Detectives are urging the public to contact police if they see any individual matching the description provided by the victim.

Police are working to determine if the suspect involved in this recent incident was the same man involved in two different attacks in Somerset and Middlesex Counties reported last year.

2021 park rapes

In September, a woman reported being raped by a man armed with a gun as she walked inside D&R Canal park near the South Brunswick/Plainsboro border, Middlesex County authorities previously said.

In July, a woman reported being sexually assaulted by a man who had been armed with a knife in Duke Island Park, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Anyone with potential information relating to the sexual assault can contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Sex Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at 908-873-5533 or via the STOPit app.

The STOPit app, which can be downloaded to a smart phone for free, allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

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

Questions to ask to see if someone’s REALLY from New Jersey

They say all politics is local and when you are scrambling to find baby formula for your hungry infant you’ll knock on any door that you think might be answered. A shortage like this adds a whole new dimension to constituent services in a place like New Jersey that fancies itself as being so affluent and socially progressive yet keeps getting bitten in the ass by a scarcity for basics. 

First it was masks, then it was COVID tests and now it’s baby formula. When are we going to own just what a greedy disaster our form of late stage vulture capitalism has turned out to be? We are great at amassing mind-numbing wealth, but as for providing the basics that sustains like, not so much.

According to multiple reports, a Feb 17 product recall of Abbott formula products was set in motion after a Jan. 31 inspection at the company’s Sturgis, Michigan plant. The regulatory probe came after four infants were hospitalized and two died after coming down with bacterial infections. 

The Washington Post reported that House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) had received a 34-page report “from a former Abbott employee who registered a litany of complaints about conditions at the plant with the FDA” back in October 2021, leaving FDA Commissioner Robert Califf scrambling to account for the delay as the shortage became more severe.  

“There will be a full investigation of the timeline, and we’ll do everything possible to correct any errors in timing that we had so that we don’t repeat any mistakes that may have been made,” he promised NBC’s Savannah Guthrie.

As it turns out, there’s a lot more to the infant formula scarcity story than just the pictures of empty shelves and the ones walled off by plexiglass and under lock and key at your local Walgreens featured on the news.  Consider, that half of the formula that’s purchased in this country goes to supply the 1.7 million infants who rely on the WIC program to survive.

“Even before this national baby formula supply crisis, we got calls from our constituents looking for help

with infant formula because the price before the crisis was so exorbitant,” Assembly Member Britney Timberlake (D-District 34) said during a May 16  interview. “Now, the infant formula shortage is impacting women all over and most babies are reliant on formula at some point and a healthy baby is a fed baby.”

Timberlake credited the Biden White House with moving to address the crisis in the short term by exploring the importation of  imported formula that meets the U.S.’s stringent safety standards. The U.S. does not currently import formula.

As the mother of a one-year old and four year old, Timberlake says she is well versed on the importance of parental education on the subject of infant nutrition. The Essex County legislator, who represents one of the state’s poorest districts, was quick to point out that the issue of access to infant nutrition was not just a simple matter of supply and demand, but was informed by the state’s great health and wealth race-based divide. 

While the formula scarcity is hitting every zip code, it comes as an additional setback to communities of color, so disproportionately hit by COVID and long standing health care access issues. These are also the places where expectant mothers are most likely not to receive the pre-natal and post-natal care that leads to better health outcomes for the mother and the child. 

NJ Spotlight recently reported that the six-month old supply crisis was “growing increasingly worse and more alarming” with Abbott Laboratories, a major supplier, saying it could take “up to 10 weeks to get products back on the shelves after shutting down production following a massive recall.”

The New Jersey non-profit news site confirmed the shortage was “especially challenging to low- and moderate-income parents…  enrolled in the state’s supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, also known as WIC.”

“Every young mom that comes asking for it is extremely disappointed when we don’t have it. We normally have crates filled with it for them to take. I don’t have a single can in the building right now,” Mike Bruno, executive director of the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair told NJ Spotlight. 

Dr. Celine Gounder is a physician and epidemiologist as well as the Editor-at-Large for Public Health at Kaiser Health News.

“We’re saying the same disparities play out with respect to access to baby formula as we’ve seen with maternal and child health — Black women are 2.5 times as likely to die from childbirth as white women in the U.S. — and the rest of our health care system,” Dr. Gounder wrote in an email. 

“My husband and I had to drive 45 minutes to a suburban hospital to get the kind of mother and infant friendly care that’s expected  as the basic standard of care in wealthier, whiter communities,” Timberlake said. It’s in these kinds of settings, she notes,  that mothers are also more likely to get the post-natal nutritional counseling they need.

“I have a bill that I introduced earlier this year to  require all new mothers to be visited by a lactation consultant before they leave the hospital after childbirth because there can be a stigma to breastfeeding and some women can lack the support to even give it a try,” Timberlake observed. “It’s also important to remember, infant formula remains essential because there are cases where women can’t breast feed due to medical health issues and they must rely on formula. And although, 83 percent of respondents to a survey said they initiated breast feeding, the percentage declined to 50 percent at 6 months and 24 percent at 12 months.”

Timberlake also noted that even among the mothers surveyed who breast fed their infants, more than half their infants also received formula while they were still in the hospital. 

Here in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Department of Health we have around 100,000 infants born in each calendar year. According to the United Way’s ALICE project, which tracks families living below the official poverty level as well as struggling week to week to cover basics, “1.2 million households were already struggling to afford the basics even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.”

The non-profits analysis continued. “These ALICE and poverty-level families were living one crisis away from financial despair and that crisis is now. While 37 percent of all households in New Jersey do not earn enough to cover basic expenses, systemic racism has led to disproportionate rates of Black households facing financial instability. More than half of Black households — 52 percent — are unable to afford the basics for survival, which is nearly twice the rate among White households in New Jersey.” 

New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith, New Jersey’s last remaining Republican, blasted the Biden

response.

“As millions of American families scramble to feed their infants, President Biden has failed to take effective action to resolve this life-or-death crisis and ensure parents have access to this critical source of nutrition,” Smith wrote in a statement.

Smith has cosponsored a bill to direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to agree to an international standard for baby formula with the intent to increase importation and boost domestic supply.  “This critical legislation will cut bureaucratic red tape exacerbating this dire shortage and reinforce our domestic supply of infant formula to ensure it is able to withstand future shocks,” Smith added.

May 15, Congressman Frank Pallone, who is chair of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee committed to have hearings on the formula crisis.

“The infant formula shortages are alarming,” tweeted Pallone. “I’m holding an oversight hearing on May 25 to focus on what’s been done to increase production and supply and what more still needs to be done to ensure that all families have access to safe formula.”

While things were getting harder for families, not just here in New Jersey but across the country, corporate consolidation was accelerating in vital areas like pharmaceuticals and yes, baby formula. Indeed, U.S. tax policy that shifted the tax burden from corporations to American households, helped to promote the kinds of mergers and acquisitions that eliminate sector competition. 

Of course the corporate campaign donors that rent Congress don’t see it that way.

“Experts say the formula crisis points to problems beyond conditions at the facility operated by Abbott, maker of Similac and the largest producer of milk formula in the country,” reported the Washington Post. “For years, they have been warning that industry consolidation has left the production of formula — a highly regulated product that is notoriously difficult to manufacture — in the hands of a small number of makers vulnerable to this sort of disruption.” 

It was that angle that caught the attention of Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who along with his colleagues Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), led a group of eight Senators calling on the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address the “extremely high levels of corporate concentration in the infant formula marketplace following the recent news of infant formula shortages nationwide” according to a Bookler press release.

“The infant formula industry has reached an alarming level of corporate concentration with four companies–Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson, Gerber, and Perrigo–controlling nearly 90% of the infant formula market. Abbott Nutrition, the manufacturer of products currently under recall, alone controls around 40% of the infant formula market,” the Senators wrote in a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack. “This level of concentration has created a fragile system unable to adequately respond to shocks in the supply chain. Unfortunately, this puts our most vulnerable populations at risk, and disproportionately impacts low-income families who rely on programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).”

The letter was cosigned by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

The Senators continued, “The extremely high levels of concentration in the infant formula market creates a serious risk to infant health if there is any disruption to a major manufacturer’s supply. Therefore, this issue merits immediate antitrust review. While federal contracting may have played a role in the consolidation of the infant formula market, corporate food giants shoulder the majority of the responsibility of hyper consolidation across the food system. This is yet another example of how alarming levels of consolidation hurts American families and can no longer be ignored.” 

Talk about real time delivery…..

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The Abbott Nutrition baby formula manufacturing facility in Michigan that has been shuttered since February is “likely” to resume operations in two weeks, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Under fire from parents and politicians, President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday announced an agreement to reopen the largest domestic manufacturing plant of infant formula as well as ease import rules to allow supplies from overseas, amid a nationwide shortage.

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TRENTON — Some religious leaders in the state have been vocal about their “disappointment and outrage” with New Jersey’s latest push toward proposed legislation to expand access to abortion.

The nation’s highest court has been edging toward reconsidering the landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

“This proposed legislation is a direct attack on the dignity and sanctity of life and is further evidence that we have failed as a society when a mother feels her only option is to end the life of her child,” a written statement from the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey.

The statement was issued following a proposal from Gov. Phil Murphy and leading Democratic lawmakers for full insurance coverage and a state fund for abortion.

New Jersey already codified the right to an abortion statewide, through a law enacted four months ago, in anticipation that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the 1973 decision in Roe versus Wade.

“New Jersey continues to rank among the top three states in annual abortion procedures nationwide. For these reasons it is incomprehensible to force health insurance providers in New Jersey to cover 100% of the cost to expand access to these abhorrent services,” the bishops’ statement said.

It was signed by the seven highest-ranking men of the state’s Catholic Dioceses:

— Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark
—  Bishop Kevin Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson
—  Bishop David O’Connell, Diocese of Trenton
— Bishop James Checchio, Diocese of Metuchen
—  Bishop Dennis Sullivan, Diocese of Camden
—  Bishop Kurt Burnette, Eparchy of Passaic
—  Bishop Yousif Habash, Our Lady of Deliverance of Syriac Catholic Diocese

“For our part, the Catholic Church is committed to opposing this legislation, but more importantly we stand ready to broaden and increase awareness about the abundant resources and programs we offer from pregnancy and foster care centers to clothing, food, housing services, adoption agencies, family resource centers, and national programs such as Walking with Moms in Need,” according to the same joint statement from the bishops.

The statement did not address situations in which a continued pregnancy poses real health risks to the life of the mother — as there are no exceptions for the Catholic Church’s anti-abortion stance, including in cases of rape and incest.

A strong majority of Americans in a Pew Research Center survey taken in March said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, though many are open to restrictions.

Nearly half of U.S. adults in the same Pew poll (48%) agreed that there are “circumstances in which abortion is morally wrong but should nevertheless be legal.”

Less than half that number, or 22% of Americans polled, said that abortion should be illegal in every situation where they believe it is immoral.

Pope Francis on bishops & politics

In September, Pope Francis weighed in on a movement to try and deny Communion to pro-choice politicians, including President Joe Biden, who like Murphy, is Catholic.

The pope repeated that “abortion is homicide.” He also said about bishops making efforts not to align themselves with “political life,” as reported by America The Jesuit Review.

“And what should a shepherd do? Be a shepherd. Not going around condemning,” the pope said, according to the same report. “They must be a shepherd, in God’s style, which is closeness, compassion and tenderness.”

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

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According to the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a World Health Organization study estimated more than 1 billion teenagers and young adults across the globe are at risk for hearing loss due to chronic exposure to high noise levels.

And once hearing loss occurs, it is irreversible, said Michele McGlynn, audiologist and NJSHA member.

Increased reliance on personal devices brought about by the remote learning conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t helped matters, according to McGlynn.

“Kids were turning in to their classes and just listening — even on their downtime in between classes, are often just plugging in for extended periods of time,” she said.

More than anything, McGlynn said, it’s that elongated time that is the most damaging, and while the trend began with a period of isolation, kids are continuing to turn up the volume even with their lives somewhat back to normal.

About 1 out of every 8 children (12.5%) from age 6 through 19 have suffered some sort of hearing loss because of excessive exposure, according to NJSHA.

“Often they’re now in noisier environments, whether it’s that noisy school bus, whether it’s the train they’re taking, whether it’s going to a fitness gym and there’s high levels of music playing,” McGlynn said.

Early telltale signs of hearing loss can be a ringing or rushing sensation within the ear, increased sensitivity, or things sounding muffled.

McGlynn said these symptoms are the ear’s way of responding to its inner mechanisms and hair fibers being overworked.

“We’ve all, as younger adults or teenagers, remembered going to concerts or leaving a place and having that ringing or that muffled sound,” she said. “And that’s a sign.”

Keeping those formative experiences in mind, McGlynn said, much of the responsibility for educating children about the importance of their hearing falls on parents.

A routine screening in school or even in a pediatrician’s office may not be enough to truly diagnose a problem, as McGlynn recommends a baseline hearing test.

Proper precautions certainly help. Parents and kids alike may not know that most modern phones have a headphone level limit that can be set, or that can be controlled through an app.

Noise-canceling headphones are also advisable in situations with loud ambient noise.

“I’ll see kids outside mowing the lawn and they don’t have hearing protection on, or any earmuffs, but you see them with AirPods on,” McGlynn said. “And that’s just another simple example of noise.”

For more tips, NJSHA suggests checking out the “Noisy Planet” page run by the National Institutes of Health.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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