TOWN WATCH
NEWARK – The Newark Public Schools Board of Education has closed one chapter – related to former board president Dawn Haynes – and is opening a new one regarding her prospective successor.
Current Board President Hasani Council announced at the board’s annual retreat May 17 that Haynes, without mentioning her name, had resigned. She was not present at that Saturday’s board meeting. Hasani and the board approved a settlement between NPS and Haynes’s daughter, Akela – who had filed a harassment and discrimination suit.
A. Haynes claimed that she had suffered racial intimidation, bullying and assault while a student at the Newark School for Global Studies from September 2020 until her transfer to another high school in December 2022. She waited until she had turned 18 and had graduated from the district before filing suit.
The school board, in a petition signed by Superintendent of Schools Roger Leon in November, sought the New Jersey Department of Education’s permission to remove D. Haynes, citing a conflict of interest with her daughter’s suit. A State Superior Court dismissed that petition in January.
D. Haynes, who was first elected as part of the Moving Newark Schools Forward team in 2018, was into her third term – which was to expire on June 30, 2027. She, Hasani and NPS spokesman Paul Brubaker have said why she stepped down.
The board has meanwhile closed nominations at 4 p.m. June 2 for her appointed successor. The appointed post is to fill out her remaining term. State law requires that a board vacancy of more than 65 days must be filled with a successor.
Who the board appoints may be announced as early as June 18. That person may also have the option to run for an elected three-year term April 13, 2027.
Baraka Sues Habba
After a controversial incident a few weeks ago, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has filed a civil lawsuit against Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. This comes in the wake of his May 9 arrest outside the ICE federal immigration center at Delaney Hall.
Baraka’s suit alleges false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamatory remarks made by Habba. The mayor was accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings from law enforcement officers to leave during a protest. Not long after, Habba said that she would drop the charges against Baraka “for the sake of moving forward.”
IRVINGTON / EAST ORANGE – When the East Orange Fire Department put out mourning bunting over its headquarters in May for Capt. Neil Haffey, they did so for the once-Irvington resident knew something about service, dedication and heroism.
Haffey, 77, who died in Brick Township May 2, was a retired EOFD firefighter and officer. He spent most of his 30 years as part of Truck 1, which is stationed at the 464 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. headquarters. Born Neil Doyle July 20, 1947 in Brooklyn, he returned to Irvington and East Orange after two tours in Vietnam with the Army 173rd Airborne Brigade as a Recon Ranger.
Haffey, his adoptive parents Cornelius and Alice Haffey and sister Eileen Haffey moved to Irvington in the 1960s – where Eileen became a 1965 Irvington High School graduate and Neil entered military service.
PFC Haffey was one of three soldiers who were shielded from enemy gunfire and flack when Lt. Col. Alfred “Doc” Rascon March 16, 1966. All four more than survived for Haffey testified in support of Rascon’s receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2000.
Sgt. Haffey died in the company of his wife Patricia and daughters Diana, Kristina, Erin and Caitlin. Brother Edward Doyle, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren are also among his survivors. Sister Eileen Glay, grandson Shawn Haffey and all four birth and adoptive parents have predeceased the Bronze Medal recipient.
A memorial gathering with military honors was held for Haffey at Bayville’s Mastapeter Memorial Home, followed by a Memorial Mass at St. Barnabas Church May 7. EO Fire Officers Local 223 were among his mourners.
ORANGE – It took 10 weeks but the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office on May 29 said that they have arrested three men – one each from Orange, West Orange and Newark – in the wake of a shooting outside a Verona catering hall on March 15.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore “Ted” Stephens II said that Jumanne A. McGee, 29, of Orange, Shaid L. Cook, 32, of West Orange and Michael Chatmon, 41, of Newark have each been charged with weapons offenses related to the shooting of four people in front of the venue on Bloomfield Ave. Chatmon has also been charged with aggravated assault.
County detectives said that there was an argument between two birthday party attendees inside of Palmetto Venues, 10 Park Place, which spilled out into Municipal Parking Lot No. 1. It was outside that the suspects were accused of exchanging gunfire.
One man, 41, and a second. 40, were taken to University Hospital with respective gunshot wounds to their stomach and right arm. A third man, 41, admitted himself to Mountainside Hospital and a woman, 30 went to Cooperman-Barnabas Hospital for gunshot wounds to their legs. All four, who were taken away before VPD arrived, were treated and released.
Township administrators have suspended Palmetto Venues 45 days to review its zoning board variation permit and certificate of occupancy. Although the event space’s owners have been cooperating, it remains listed as “temporarily closed” as of press time.
Verona Police Chief Christopher Kiernan thanked ECPO and the Newark Police Division for assisting their initial investigation. Stephens added that a fourth suspect remains at large.
WEST ORANGE – Township officials tried to make life here more “bearable” by posting an advisory after several bruins were sighted in and near West Orange May 28-29.
Residents along Eagle Rock Avenue between Pleasant Valley Way and Prospect started calling authorities about bears starting at 8 a.m. that Wednesday. May 30 sightings included one each at Hooper Avenue by Degnan Park in Pleasantdale and Fundus Road towards Rosney Terrace across Eagle Rock Avenue south of Mayfair Farms and West Orange (soon to be Target) Shopping Plaza.
One more bear sighting was made while the animal was on the Dodd Street Orange side of Rosedale Cemetery May 29. Rosedale’s lots are spread among both Oranges and Montclair.
The Glen Ridge Police Department received calls of a bear in the south end of town along Carteret Street May 30.
In between was a bear named Jelly, who left its Turtle Back Zoo enclosure into a non-public room May 29. Jelly was ushered back without incident.
West Orange Health Department’s Animal Control Division advises that should a bear be seen, stay calm, do not approach the animal but make noise to show that you are there – and it will avoid contact. Report sighting with Animal Control, (973) 325-4121 during business hours or the police department at -4000 outside of those hours. Secure or “bear proof” bird feeders, garbage bags and other attractants – and keep track of children and house pets.
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD – Authorities have put out an all points bulletin related to the robbery “of an adult male student” in a Columbia High School parking lot June 2.
The victim reported to Maplewood Police that he was accosted by “three unknown males” while at the West Parker Avenue parking lot at 8:21 a.m. Monday.
The masked suspects got out of a white Kia sedan and approached him. The trio proceeded to beat the victim and steal $40 cash and his backpack which contained a laptop computer before fleeing in the Kia.
That car is in MPD’s impound lot, having been recovered abandoned in Newark. It is presumed that the car was stolen, given that the rear passenger side window was broken.
A police spokesman told a News12 reporter on June 3 that the victim was uninjured. It is not known whether he is a South Orange or Maplewood resident; CHS serves both towns.
BLOOMFIELD – Perhaps someone will place a bronze plaque by where a North End barber shop stood in 1963 to honor the late comic book writer Peter David, 68, who died May 24 in East Patchogue, N.Y.
It is not clear as of press time whether the barber shop father and Montclair reporter/movie reviewer Gunter took Peter to was at 327 Broughton Ave., 1290 Broad St or 405 W. Passaic Ave. All three were within the range of the Davids’ home at 11 Albert Terr. and the Demarest School at 465 Broughton where Peter attended.
The plaque would read: This is the site where Peter David read Harvey and DC comic books while waiting for his hair trimming. These comics inspired David to become an award winning and prolific writer of comic books and television serials and author of science fiction novels.
David, who was born Sept. 23, 1956 in Ft. Mead. Md., would be soon moved to Verona and Pennsylvania before he returned to this area as an NYU journalism graduate. One of his first assignments, for the “Philadelphia Bulletin,” was the World Science Fiction Convention in Washington, DC. His break into comic book writing came when the then-Marvel Comics salesman had his “Spider-Man” story bought by its editor.
David became best known for being “The Amazing Hulk” head writer 1987-98 and 50 works in the “Star Trek” universe. He received the 1992 Will Eisner Award, among others.
His second wife Kathleen O’Shea David said that Peter died of a stroke – the last of a range of health issues dogging him since 2012. Kathleen had revived Peter’s GoFundMe.com page to help with expenses not covered by health insurance.
His first wife Maya Kasman and daughters Ariel, Caroline, Guinevere and Shana from both marriages are among his survivors.
MONTCLAIR – The Immaculate Conception High School held its Class of 2025 graduation ceremony – and its last – here in its courtyard and gymnasium May 30.
The 37 young men and women who received their diplomas are all going to higher education or the U.S. Air Force or Navy. Some are going to schools as close as Montclair State University, Bloomfield College and ECC or as distant as The University of Utah.
Utah is where Salutatorian Alexandra Hernandez is going for her pre-med degree. Valedictorian Michael “Mr. IC” Ojewumi is headed for the University of Pennsylvania as a biology major.
The Class of ’25’s attaining higher education fulfills ICHS’s “We Are Life Beyond” goal one last time as a Roman Catholic college prep school. The school, founded in 1925 by The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, had struggled in the last 20 years of declining enrollment. A nationwide $500,000 2014 alumni fundraising effort held off the school’s board of trustees and the Archdiocese of Newark’s Feb. 12 shuttering announcement.
What would have been ICHS’s classes of 2026-28 have been transferred to other nearby high schools. Teachers and staff, since June 2, have been awarding final grades, writing transcripts and beginning its storage and final packing at 34 Cottage Place.
The Blue and White Lions will have one last hurrah here and at nearby Codey Field June 28. Its namesake Immaculate Conception Church of the St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish will dedicate a morning Mass, followed by self-guided school tours that afternoon and a final tailgate party at the field. The last event is “Bring Your Own Everything – chairs, food, drink, ice and trash bags.”
BELLEVILLE – A small makeshift shrine at the bust stop shelter before the Bowlero here at 679 Washington Ave. has been growing since word of Constantine John “Gus” Angelides’ May 12 death had spread.
Angelides, 73, had been spending his last days wearing an all-climate suit and pushing his belongings in a shopping cart between here and NJTransit’s Big Tree Garage on the Nutley border. One source said that the landlord of the just-built Kelsey apartment building would grant him overnight space during inclement weather.
Whatever long road Angelides had, going by Bayville’s Thomas E Ryan Funeral Home furnished obituary, he also stayed close to his hometown.
“Gus” was born May 31, 1951 in East Orange but grew up here, becoming among the Belleville High School Class of 1969. He ventured out to the University of Albuquerque for a bachelor’s degree in 1973 before coming to then-Montclair State College for a master’s in social sciences in the late 1970s. He was a longtime social sciences employee for the state.
Gus would have liked the NBA New York Knicks’ recent deep playoff run. He, in the obit, was an avid fan of the Kicks, MLB New York Yankees and the NFL New York Jets.
Sister Joanne, three cousins and three great-cousins are among his survivors. His service was privately held at Ryan’s Lavallette parlor. Condolences may be left with ryanfuneralhome.com.
NUTLEY – The loss of 50-year public educator Joseph L. Malanga, 72, who died here May 12, is also being felt in Westfield and Bloomingdale.
Malanga was elected to the Nutley Board of Education, where he lent his experience and insight as an elementary school principal. He retired from being Westfield’s Wilson Elementary School principal in 2021 and previously was in a similar position in Bloomingdale.
Born in Newark March 9, 1953, Malanga was committed to his adopted home community. The Nutley Elks, Jaycees, UNICO and The Third Half Club are some of the organizations he had participated.
Wife Diane, son Jeffrey, daughter Jessica, granddaughter AllieRae and brother Michael Martino are among his survivors. His Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Church, followed by entombment at North Arlington’s Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, were held on May 20.
Memorial donations may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: stjudge.org.
