TOWN WATCH
NEWARK – Relatives of fallen Newark firefighters Augusto “Augie” Acabou and Wayne “Bear” Brooks, Jr. gathered before Fire Station Engine Company 16 at 469 Ferry St. Oct. 6 to publicly demand answers from the city and the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the fatal Port Newark Grande Costa d’Avorio fire July 5.
They and New York City attorney Mark Apostolos, Esq. that Friday, saying that Acabou and Brooks’ deaths were “tragic and preventable,” said that they intend to sue the Grimaldi cargo ship company, the stevedoring company handling the unloading f some 1,000 cars from the ship, the Port Newark marine terminal where the ship was berthed and the City of Newark for negligence.
They also want the Coast Guard, as lead investigator, to expedite their probe to what led to the July 5-10 fire and firefighting conditions.
Apostolos added that he intends to challenge Grimaldi’s claim that the liability was limited to the value of the ship’s cargo in federal court. Grimaldi said that the liability is limited to $15.9 million – the value of some 1,000 cars on board.
The attorney and the relative said that they have found evidence that a Jeep that had been malfunctioning during the transatlantic sparked the blaze. It is not known whether, it, other or all vehicles had their fuel tanks drained and electrical systems disconnected as per procedure. They also said that the ship’s crew and stevedores had left doors open within the ship, leading to the fire’s spread.
“The city wants the same thing,” said Mayor Ras Baraka. “We trust that the investigators are completing their process as quickly as possible while maintaining the integrity of their examination and analysis. It’s my deep hoe that this investigation will yield the information the families need for healing, and the answers will benefit firefighters in Newark and elsewhere.”
IRVINGTON – An off-duty Essex County Sheriff’s Officer and resident here had been arraigned in South Kearny’s Correctional and Rehabilitation Center Sept. 27 regarding a three-car collision along Harrison Avenue and I-280 June 4, 2022, where he had appeared to be under the influence.
Michael Johnson, 36, said Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez Sept. 27, was off-duty when he was arrested by HCPO detectives in Secaucus Sept. 26 and was remanded to the county jail.
Johnson has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault, three third-degree counts of assault by auto and five counts of fourth-degree assault by auto.
Kearny Police Sgt. Michal Gontalczak said that his officers responded to a three car collision at Harrison Avenue by the I-280 West entrance ramp at 11:20 p.m. June 4, 2022. They found Johnson and his Jeep Cherokee and occupants in a Chevrolet Traverse and a Nissan Rogue damaged and on the avenue’s eastbound lane.
KPD officers promptly called for a local ambulance service since eight people had been injured. It is not clear whether Johnson was among the injured.
Officers at the scene had determined that the off-duty Johnson was driving east on the avenue when he entered the westbound lane. KPD had initially charged Johnson with filing to submit to a sobriety test at the scene.
It is not known why it took 16 months for KPD-HCPO investigators to arrest Johnson for DWI. Nor are the conditions of the eight injured people known.
EAST ORANGE – The Boston Market restaurant here at 471 Central Ave., after being closed for 53 days, may be fully open by when you read this – as will be most others throughout New Jersey.
A “Local Talk” delivery crew noticed two “We’re Open” banners in front of the store and 16 cars parked – four of them in employee spaces – on its lot. Four employees were found inside, two of whom were managers who explained that “We’ve been open since Friday (Oct. 6).”
The eatery on the southeast corner of Central and South Clinton streets had been closed by N.J. Department of Labor’s Division of Wages, Hour and Contract Compliance officers here and at 27 of the 32 Boston Chicken of NJ LLC across the state on Aug. 15.
The state DOL – after a November 2022 complaint from Hamilton Township and investigation – found that Boston Chicken of NJ had shortchanged 317 of its employees $607,571 in back wages. That cost to Boston Chicken became $2.554 million when $1.214 million were added as penalties.
That $2.554 million had to be restituted before any of the 27 BMs could reopen. (Two others, one each in Howell and, Toms River were earlier evicted for failing to pay rent.)
“Local Talk,” on Oct. 12, found City of East Orange plastic sawhorse barricades blocking 271 Central’s drive through lane and window. These same barricades were put up around Sept 1 to keep motorists to park here and at the closed Rite-Aid pharmacy at 543 Central Ave. – both private lots.
It is not known whether the sawhorses will be removed once Boston Market has all of its staff back for drive-through. Rite-Aid, of Philadelphia, had closed 543 Central before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in a New Jersey federal court Oct. 15.
ORANGE – Members of the public who log onto the Orange City Council’s Oct. 17 meeting may well be asking what is going on with the Orange Public Library in the wake of Library Director Stephanie Flood’s Oct. 10 resignation.
Flood, after two years at the OPL helm, turned in her resignation letter with her company cell phone and keys that Tuesday – two days before the OPL Board of trustees’ scheduled Oct. 12 meeting.
A designated trustee or council liaison may tell the City Council and public of whether they have designated an employee to be an officer in charge and how they will go about finding Flood’s successor.
Flood, who was the former Lincoln Park Library Director in Morris County, spent much of her time setting OPL right after years of closure, neglect and corruption. That activity included working around records that were made absent by the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice / FBI investigation of bribery and fiscal misuse among OPL, City Hall and the Orange YWCA/Orange Recreational, Educational and Cultural Center.
Flood had reconciled relationships with neighboring libraries and vendors, remodeled the Watson Alcome into a computer learning center, returned Saturday hours and, in July, had a new HVAC roof unit installed. (A prior director had conspired to write invoices for a $40,000 HVAC chiller unit that was never ordered, let alone installed.)
Flood, in a letter that “Local Talk” had received, laid a deteriorating relationship with the OPL BOT at the trustees’ feet. It had started from her first day, when she did not receive duty and responsibility, new employee orientation or health and pension benefits documents. She was told to get the health and pension benefits papers from Human Resources in City Hall.
There was a question over vacation days going by New Jersey Civil Service. regulation. She never got the 24 days off as per Civil Service. The Trustees, last summer, sent a letter saying that she had 12 days – and that she had used that allotment.
What Flood said was the Trustees’ noncompliance with Civil Service was supported by then Trustee President Janet Mateo and CWA Union Representative Rene Garzon. Mateo, at the Trustees’ Sept. 21 special meeting, was succeeded by then-Vice President Jonathon A. Beckford. At the July 13, BOT meeting Flood, after learning that a motion to fire her was made by them May 11, followed by “an investigation,” asked for a copy of the charges levied against her; she never received that document.
WEST ORANGE – Business owners and rental unit landlords have until Oct. 31 to get their mercantile licenses with the Township of West Orange and be part of that municipality’s registry.
West Orange became the first municipality in “Local Talk” Land to require mercantile licenses within township limits and to create such a registry.
The frequently asked questions responses on the West Orange website said this in response to a State Legislature requirement for businesses and property owners to have proof of liability insurance in case of on premises “property damage, bodily injury or death resulting from accidents or occurrences.” Municipalities are charged with monitoring businesses and rental properties with compliance.
Owners of businesses and/or rental properties are to submit a certificate of insurance along with an application for the registry. Applicants are to pay at least $100 for the business or the first unit and $20 for each additional unit.
They will receive a certificate that must be posted in a conspicuous place on the property. The certificate is in effect Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Those who do not register or renew are facing a $2,000 fine.
The proof of liability insurance must have a policy carrying at least $300,000 for a rental building or at least $500,000 for a business.
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD – What Halloween celebrations that take place this year at South Orange-Maplewood School District buildings will be limited.
What Halloween celebrations that will take place, said SOMSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ronald Taylor Oct. 6, will have to be held after school. The events will also have to ” be in partnership with affiliated organizations like a parent-teacher group.”
Taylor decided to greatly restrict Halloween celebrations after polling with all school principals and consulting with Assistant Superintendent of Access and Equity Dr. Kevin Gilbert. The polling asked whether Halloween should be substituted with the likes of “a Fall Festival.”
“Each year, questions arise from families, students and staff about what SOMSD schools will be doing regarding Halloween,” said Taylor. “Is promoting school-sanctioned Halloween activities create indirect and unintentional hardships for students and families? Do the activities violate the dignity of some of our students culturally or religiously? Does the promotion create tensions of access and equity values among SOMSD schools?”
“All of us realize that this breaks with what the District has usually done and that can be a difficult thing to do sometimes,” said Dr. Gilbert. “Often, working to instill greater equity begins with recognizing that we cannot do what we have always done. With this decision, we’re taking a step closer to upholding our community’s access and equity values.”
BLOOMFIELD – A State Superior Court jury convicted a township man in Newark Oct 10 of the murder of a Newark man at the latter’s Irvington filling station May 12, 2022 – even though he never pulled the trigger.
The jury, after an eight-day trial and five hours’ deliberation, told Judge Michael J. Raven that Tuesday that they found Lamar Sommers, 36, guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession thereof for an unlawful purpose, among other charges.
Sommers was accused of driving two accomplices a block short of the Grove Street, Irvington service station where Jah-Que Tyrese Benbow, 23, of Newark, was working 10 p.m. May 11, 2022. He remained in the car while the other two men fired five shots into Benbow – and drove them away.
Benbow was rushed to Newark’s University Hospital, where he died 40 minutes later. Visitation and memorial service for Benbow, who was born April 8, 1999, was held at Irvington’s Transcend Worship Center.
Sommers promptly fled to North Carolina, where he was arrested June 16, 2022. He awaits sentencing Dec. 4, when Judge Ravin may give him up to 30 years in a state prison.
MONTCLAIR – Township elders may have appointed a successor for Councilman-at-Large Peter Yacobellis during their Sept. 18 public meeting. “A resolution to fill a vacancy of Counselor-at-Large,” is listed on that 11 a.m. Wednesday’s agenda.
Yacobellis, 43, who was elected in 2020, announced Oct. 12 that he is resigning immediately and had tendered his notice to Municipal Clerk Angelese Bermudez Nieves. He had announced his not pursuing re-election and his election campaign for mayor Aug. 23.
“Back in August, I talked about the reasons why I’m not pursuing re’-election or election to higher office,” stated Yacobellis. “I’ve decided to kickstart that journey sooner, move out to Washington state next year, give myself a reset and to pursue other passions.”
Any elected office with nearly 12 months left in its term, according to state statute, must be filled with an appointee. Yacobellis is leaving with 10 months, through July 1, 2024, left on his term.
Former mayor and deputy mayor-turned at-large Councilman Robert Russo had suggested on Oct. 13 to consider returning Dr. Renee Baskerville. Baskerville was Fourth Ward Councilwoman until her bid for mayor failed in 2020.
Yacobellis said he had forwarded an individual’s name to Mayor Sean Spiller and Second and Third ward council women Robin Schlager and Lori Price Abrams, “but ultimately that decision is left to my colleagues.”
Leaf Blower Ban Update
“Local Talk” has learned that the injunction sought by Gaia Gardens and other landscapers in U.S. Federal Court-Newark Oct. 12 was denied by Judge Julien X. Neals. Montclair Township’s ban on gas powered, internal combustion engine leaf blowers took effect Oct. 15.
BELLEVILLE – Authorities are investigating the how and the why of a Belleville Middle School student’s possession of a gun that led to that building being locked down here on Oct. 5.
Responding Belleville police officers said that they got a call from a Belleville Public Schools security officer at about 11:20 a.m. that Monday.
Police officers and BPS security located and interviewed the student in question. They retrieved ” a BB gun from his backpack.”
279 Washington Ave. was locked down – with no civilian going in or out – while BPD was present.
Belleville Middle School, noted for its 1936 Art Deco gymnasium out front of its older core building, was the township’s high school until the latter moved into its current structure in the 1960s. Faculty and staff had been using the demolished King Windows building space at 269 Washington and the former Eastern International College / Elks Lodge/DAV Post at 249-51 Washington for parking.
NUTLEY – It took eight days for the Lincoln Elementary School community to recover from an Oct. 9 fire here, but Superintendent of Schools Kent Bania and Principal Brooke Benavides said, on Oct. 13, that a full schedule of classes, including morning and afternoon extended hours, were set to start on Oct. 16.
The school will have a 10 a.m. delayed opening on Oct. 16 – but that is a far cry from when the fire caused some 448 Kindergarten-Sixth Grade students to take remote learning instruction on 126 Chromebooks Oct. 10-13.
The 1915 two-story building and 1929 addition were meanwhile recovered and cleaned by 90 contracted ServPro people. They removed smoke-damaged materials, including most of the building’s ceiling times. Its fire alarm system was also repaired and its interior tested negative for asbestos.
The school was inspected and given occupational clearance by Nutley’s constriction code and fire officials. There is at least one report on the school’s Facebook page that the WPA-era murals in the auditorium had survived.
The damage, since Oct. 9, is still limited to the school’s auditorium.
Nutley firefighters got an alarm call from 301 Harrison St at 10:45 a.m. that Monday. They arrived within three minutes and began attacking the blaze from the roof. Mutual aid came from Belleville and Bloomfield departments.
