TOWN WATCH
NEWARK – A memorial service for Charles A. Bell was held here at New Hope Baptist Church July 30 – the day after the former Central Ward Councilman and Newark Board of Education member was honored the night before with an honorary street sign unveiling at University Avenue and Court Street.
Bell, 81, died July 16 in his native New Bern, NC. He and wife Lillie Vail Bell had retired to live near their eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Charles Allen Bell was born in New Bern in 1942 as the eighth of 11 children. The St. Joseph Catholic Church playground attendee and altar boy moved to New York City after graduating among the J.T. Barber High School Class of 1960 and started a career in chemistry with the Continental Chemical Company in 1964.
Bell became a supervising chemist at CCC’s Newark lab, prompting him to marry and bring Lillie up here. They would raise daughters Cynthia Bell-Pinkney, Myriam Montgomery and Kelli Bell-Taylor here between working at the Troy Chemical Company and studying urban education at Rutgers-Newark.
Bell became involved in Newark’s civil rights movement and community service, including becoming the president of the Miller Street School PTA and eventually catching the eye of Mayor Kenneth Gibson. Gibson appointed him to the NBOE in 1970 – where he fought for an elected school board. Gibson also appointed him as Newark Housing Council Executive Director, where he applied his Seton Hall, NYU and University of Maryland background in collective bargaining and community organization.
Bell had retired after 25 years on the NBOE when Mayor Sharpe James appointed him to fill an unexpired half-term as Central Ward Councilman in 2001. He would serve two-and-a-half terms until he had lost a runoff election.
“Local Talk” remembered Bell telling an audience at the Jesse Allen Park dedication, “This is your park, if you can keep it.”
IRVINGTON – “Local Talk” has learned that longtime township cleric Dr. Bishop Joseph Canty, Jr., 73, had transitioned from earthly labor to eternal reward here April 22.
“JC”, who was born in Manning S.C. May 26, 1948 – and was exposed to ministry early. Father Joe Canty, Sr. and mother Thomasine Dingle Canty were a respective deacon and deaconess. The Jordan High School graduate moved to conduct ministry in Irvington and was known for his kindly spiritual leadership teaching and adherence to holiness church principals.
Wife Min. Louise Gadsden Canty, nephew Rev. Dr. Curtis Canty and niece Jacqueline “Jacky ” Canty are among his survivors. The Jordan High School graduate eventually moved to Irvington. The 30-year pastor of Newark Little Rock Holiness Temple was known for his spiritual leadership, teaching and adherence to church doctrine.
Bishop Canty’s last rites were held here and in his native Manning. Newark’s Perry Funeral Home arranged for an April 22 celebration of life service at that city’s Little Rock Holiness Church before sending his remains to South Carolina.
His final viewing was held April 30 at the Fleming & DaLaine Chapel, followed by his funeral at the Weldon Auditorium May 1. He was buried in the Jordan Community of Manning State Cemetery family plot.
EAST ORANGE / BLOOMFIELD – Detectives from East Orange, Essex County and the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office found themselves investigating three crimes, each involving a fatality, here within a 72 hour period July 23-26.
City police were first called to a block along South Munn Avenue July 26 on a gunfire report where they found an unidentified man lying down with gunshot wounds. EOPD called for the ECPO Major Crimes Task Force – who declared the man dead just after their arrival. The county’s Homicide Task Force, who has taken over the probe, have not identified the deceased nor a suspect as of press time.
While the above homicide appeared to be within East Orange borders, the other two involved police pursuits coming from Bloomfield July 23.
County prosecutors are investigating Tuesday morning’s pursuit, which ended at 671 Park Ave., East Orange, with two pedestrian injuries – one fatal. Bloomfield police, acting on another unidentified department’s “car failing to stop” report. BPD followed the said vehicle in their town and into East Orange when it crashed after striking one pedestrian and pinning another one under the car.
The pinned pedestrian was declared dead at the scene; the other pedestrian’s condition has not been reported. Traffic, including NJTransit’s No. 41 bus, were detoured during the field investigation. The suspected driver fled the scene on foot.
The suspected driver of that afternoon’s crash in East Orange was declared dead at the scene after running into a parked ambulance and another car. A BPD patrol unit’s automated license plate reader identified a car suspected of being involved in an earlier robbery and followed it into Newark and eventually East Orange.
Two unidentified drivers of their parked vehicles were injured but their conditions had not been posted as of press time. NJAG detectives have taken this investigation’s lead.
ORANGE – Customers of the former Orange Water Department have been receiving retroactive bills this month going back as far as Jan. 1, 2022. The “pay back arrears” is in addition to the current payment for the March 31, 2024 period.
“You are receiving a bill adjustment for water usage for the period of Jan. 1, 2022 up to and including March 31, 2024,” reads the now-renamed Orange Waterworks notice. “The adjustment is the result of a billing error that was being done by the former operator, Veolia. The city discovered the error when the City took over billing responsibility.”
The notice includes “a detailed summary of the billing adjustment, as well as a copy of the water ordinance in effect at the time of the billing error.” The City has recently brought the quarterly billing function in house.
So Orange Water customers are now having to pay for what Orange waterworks calls Viola’s mistake for the last two-and-a-half years. Customers may also be subject to a retroactive 25-percent rate hike to what Orange Water is to correct the error. They have been reeling from a rate increase that took effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
Those customers who have questions are to call Orange Waterworks at (973) 518-6920, (862) 241-4775 between 9 a.m. and Noon the weeks of July 29 and Aug. 5.
WEST ORANGE – Students, educators, colleagues, relatives and neighbors here, in Newark and Cranford are mourning the loss of longtime teacher Thomas F. Murray. Seton Hall Prep announced that their 20-year math teacher, 75, had died in Livingston’s Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center July 20.
“Tom” who was a lifelong Cranford resident, began teaching mathematics at Newark’s Weequahic High School before moving on to SHP. He tended to teach with storytelling, exemplified by applying trigonometry to building shoreline boardwalk ramps. He kept a neat manual gradebook long after the prep school posted online gradebooks.
The Roselle Park High School Class of 1967 graduate (Cranford sent them to RPHS back then) obtained a master’s in teaching from Newark University – now known as Rutgers Newark. Outside class, he enjoyed family vacations (including going to the Jersey Shore) and cheering on his children and grandchildren’s sporting efforts.
Wife Donna, son Thomas, daughters Melissa Murray and Amanda DiMaria and two grandsons and granddaughters each. Parents Frank, Sr. and Charlotte, sister Judith Yohannon and daughter Jessica Murray predeceased him.
Murray’s funeral was held at Cranford’s St. Michael’s Church, followed by burial at Westfield’s Fairview Cemetery, July 24.
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD – The South Orange-Maplewood School District Board of Education approved succeeding one familiar face at the village’s Marshall Elementary School with another one coming at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The board, at their July 25 meeting, approved giving long-time Marshall principal Raquel Y. Horn “special assignment status” on Sept. 1. Horn – after three decades here, at Maplewood’s Seth Boyden Demonstration School and at Delran, Plainfield – is retiring Sept. 30.
Horn had started out in Plainfield Public Schools as a Second and Third Grade Literacy Coordinator; her work at the Evergreen School a 2004 Teacher of The Year and Governor’s Teacher Award. The former nine-year Seth Boyden assistant principal was principal at the Delran Intermediate School.
Assistant Principal Laura Swyberius will be promoted to acting Marshall principal Sept. 1. It is not clear as of press time whether she will be considered for full-time status during an impending principal search.
Board members, that same meeting, withdrew a resolution granting Dr. Kenneth Gilbert early tenure. Gilbert is returning to his Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction after being an SOMSD Interim Superintendent until the same board selected Jason Bing as full-time super. The reason for the resolution’s forwarding and withdrawal has not been disclosed as of press time.
