Luring Incident, New Newark Teachers Contract in Top Essex News

Attempted Luring Reported in West Orange

The West Orange Police Department is investigating an attempted luring, which happened Thursday morning at around 8 a.m.

Police responded to the corner of Valley Road and Pillot Place where multiple teenage girls, waiting for the bus to West Orange High School, were approached by a man, according to a West Orange Police Department desk sergeant.

A student told police the man, driving a silver convertible, stopped at the bus stop and asked the students to come into the car. 

Newark Teachers Accept New Contract

The membership of the Newark Teachers Union Wednesday night voted to accept a new contract that will make the city the first school district in the state to offer teachers bonus pay based on student performance. 

W. Orange Council President Charged With DWI

A West Orange council member was arrested in Verona and charged with drunken driving and two other charges, Verona Police Chief Douglas Huber said Tuesday morning.

Police stopped council president Victor Cirilo’s car shortly after midnight Friday, Nov. 9, after he made a turn from Bloomfield Avenue onto Mount Prospect Avenue (Route 23), Nov. 9, Huber said.

He was administered a field sobriety test, Huber said, but refused to take a blood alcohol test and was arrested.

Bloomfield Man Killed in Parkway Crash

A Bloomfield man was killed early Sunday morning in Irvington after he lost control of his vehicle while driving north on the Garden State Parkway, according to NJ State Police Sgt. Brian Polite.

Marcus Findlay, 23, was pronounced dead on the scene, as was his passenger, Patricia Edmond, 27, of Union, after the accident occurred around 6:03 a.m. Sunday.

Two Injured in Cedar Grove Accident Tuesday

Cedar Grove police have ticketed a 49-year-old man following a car accident Tuesday afternoon in Cedar Grove that sent two people to the hospital.

Enrico B. Belen of Little Falls was driving a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder north on Pompton Avenue near Bradford Avenue at approximately 3:20 p.m., Cedar Grove Police Chief Richard Vanderstreet said, when he collided with a 2011 Chevy pickup, driven by J.C. Smith of Lincoln Park. Smith was traveling in the opposite direction.

5 Burglaries Reported During Montclair Outages

Montclair Police are investigating five burlaries that took place on North Fullerton Avenue, Virginia Avenue, Edgemont Road, Forest Street and Elm Street during last week's power outage.

Water Main Breaks Plague Belleville

Officials in Belleville are trying to determine why the township has experienced an unusually high number of water main breaks in the last two weeks. 

Since the start of the month, there have been ruptures at Adelaide, Parkview, and at Franklin and Joralemon. Yet another break occurred on Main Street near Little Street Wednesday. 

Just as public works employees repaired that break, however, there was yet another one Thursday, at 508 Washington Ave., Township Manager Kevin Esposito said. 

Columbia HS Briefly Evacuated Thursday

Columbia High School was briefly evacuated Thursday because of "the improper use of an extension cord in one of our conference rooms," according to an email released by principal Dr. Lovie Lilly.

Durkin: Only Caldwell Remains to be Called

More than a week after the election, Essex County officials continue to count “buckets” of votes coming in from post offices that were flooded or without power after Hurricane Sandy devastated the region, County Clerk Chris Durkin said Wednesday.

In addition to mail-in votes, emailed, faxed and provisional ballots remain to be counted. Final results will not be available until the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 19, the deadline set for mail-in votes by Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

Two Democrats and two incumbent Republicans are vying for two open council seats.

Belleville Council, Resident Debate Designation

A former commissioner clashed with Belleville Township Council members Tuesday night over failed efforts to have the more than 300-year-old Dutch Reformed Church designated as an historic landmark.

A successful designation would help bring funds to pay for needed repairs to the church's damaged steeple and the entire structure. The steeple at the church was braced to keep it from collapsing after Super Storm Sandy caused damage more than two weeks ago.

Sandy Victims Donations Fill Former Toy Store

More than 54 pallets of items have been collected for victims of Hurricane Sandy by the West Caldwell Police Department since their donation center opened Saturday.

Bloomfield Shuttles Back on Schedule

The Bloomfield Shuttle Buses resumed their regular morning schedule Tuesday in order to accommodate commuters affected by the suspension of New Jersey Transit's Montclair-Boonton line.

Both the north and south end shuttles picked up residents and took them to the Bloomfield train station and the Grove Street Light Rail Station, upon request. NJ Transit has implemented a free shuttle bus service from the Bloomfield station to the ferry in Weehawken until train lines to New York City are restored.

Livingston to Begin Assistance Program

In an effort to attract new residents and help existing residents, Livingston will start a new affordability assistance program. The program's goal is to provide relief from financial hardship for those moving into deed-restricted affordable units. 

New residents who rent housing in Livingston can apply to have the township pay for their first month's rent. This is to alleviate the financial hardship caused by having to pay for a security deposit and first month’s rent at the same time.

CHS Alum Visits For Shakespeare Festival

Columbia High School's Shakespeare Festival Club began the year with romance, angst and death -- all played out in teacher Steve MacPherson's classroom on a recent Thursday afternoon.

"Mr. Mac," as MacPherson is known, leads the annual festival, which is a club at CHS.. He served as consultant this summer to first-time director Brandon Wright.

Wright heads the first-ever all African-American production of Antony and Cleopatra at Chernuchin Theater at American Theater of Actors in Manhattan. In return, Wright brought in some of the cast members, including CHS alum Uton Onyejekwe.

New Montclair Superintendent Gets Feedback

New Montclair Superintendent Penny MacCormack convened a congress of Montclair’s 11 public school Parent Teacher Associations Tuesday at the Montclair Public Library to introduce herself and discuss her vision for the district. 

Reward Offered Info on Murder of City Man

Kendal Spear was gunned down July 15 near 35 Harding Terrace Sheriff Armando Fontoura added that the victim’s parents had hosted a block party for their immediate neighbors hours before Spear was shot around 1 am.  During the evening, a physical altercation ensued between Harding Terrace residents and people who had crashed the party.  At some point during the fight, shots were fired, fatally wounding Spear. 

Olympian Visits Newark Beth Israel

The patients at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center recently got a special visit from Olympic gymnast John Orozco.

Orozco, who received a standing ovation from hospital employees as he walked into the cafeteria, was in the city for the Kellogg's Tour of Champions Gymnastic event at the Prudential Center last weekend.

Prescription Frauds Mirror National Trend

The CVS Pharmacy located at 387 Pompton Ave. in Cedar Grove has been the site of eight prescription frauds in 2012, a trend where customers attempt to obtain controlled dangerous substances from the store's pharmacy.

And the Cedar Grove Police are giving the store a lot attention lately after several recent incidents where customers have tried to get Oxycodin.