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Weddings, Jersey style: Getting freaky on Friday the 13th

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The bride couldn't resist adding some offbeat touches to the reception, including a blood-splattered dress.

In 2015, NJ.com launched a new series celebrating New Jersey nuptials. If you would like to be considered for a feature, email weddingsjerseystyle@gmail.com.


It's one of Hollywood's most enduring myths -- falling in love with the boy or girl next door. But does such a thing ever happen in real life?

For Melissa Sudia, 29, and Matthew Betau, 37, that's exactly what happened. The two met in 2012, while Betau was walking his dog in the Riverside Village apartment complex in Scotch Plains where they both lived. 

"We had seen each other in passing, but one day [in April] when I was coming home from a night out with my roommate, he was out walking his dog," said Sudia, an assistant in the meter reading and collections department of Elizabethtown Gas. "I introduced myself."

About a month later there was a block party in the complex, and Sudia and Betau ran into each other once again. This time the two hit it off and they began dating on July 13. This would not be the last time the number 13 would be an important part of their lives.

"We clicked immediately," said Sudia. "I felt so comfortable being myself around him."

Betau, who works at his father's business, Allan Betau Contracting, cites the "warm and fuzzies" as his indicator that Sudia was destined to be his wife. "[I] just always had that warm fuzzy feeling every time we were together," he said.

The wedding date

On Sudia's 28th birthday, Betau planned not one, but two surprises for her.

The first was a surprise party for her birthday. In order for the guests to arrive and set things up for the party, Betau put his second surprise in motion.

The couple hit the road for dinner, but took a detour in Hope, New Jersey. Betau took Sudia to an overlook that he used to ride his bike around when he worked nearby at the Johnsonburg Presbyterian Camp.

Weddings, Jersey Style: Melissa Sudia and Matthew BetauGuests took the dance floor at the wedding of Melissa Sudia and Matthew Betau, at Doolan's Shore Club in Spring Lake. (Jimmy Hemingway)  

"While we were looking at the scenery, he pulled out the ring," said Sudia. "He then asked me to start the next chapter of our lives together."

After Sudia's said yes, Betau feigned leaving his credit card back at their apartment. But instead of finding his card, Sudia found friends and family there to celebrate her birthday and congratulate her on the engagement.

The couple chose Friday November 13 as their wedding date both for its novelty, and its significance in their relationship since the two began dating on July 13.

"We both love the number 13," said Sudia. "It's his sports number and my lucky number, and we were keen on the idea of a Friday 13th wedding."

The venue

The couple chose Doolan's Shore Club in Spring Lake as the site for both their ceremony and the reception. Their love for the beach, as well as concern for guests, inspired the choice.

"We wanted to have our venue at a location where our guests didn't have to leave once the reception was over," said Sudia. (Doolan's has a hotel attached to it, allowing guests to stay overnight if they wanted.) 

Yet it wasn't all just practicality that drew Sudia to Doolan's.

"As soon as we walked into the lobby of Doolan's, I was awestruck," said Sudia. "The atrium where the ceremony would be held was so intimate and beautiful, and the dance floor of the reception room was humongous. I am big on dancing all night long, so this was important to me."

Where they saved

Sudia and Betau looked to family and friends to help them cut costs on their wedding day.

"My sorority sister and good friend Jenifer Vera of Abanet Designs, made my veil, garter, and throwaway garter," said Sudia.  

Family friend Harold Black of Gray's Florist in Bridgewater designed "everything" for the ceremony and reception. One of Sudia's bridesmaids, who works part-time for a wedding planner, lent her knowledge to the couple, which Sudia said was "priceless."

The couple also found ceremonial help from Andrew Renaldo, husband of Sudia's bridesmaid Kelly Renaldo, who acted as officiant for the ceremony.

What They Splurged On 

Even before they were engaged, the couple knew that the one thing they were going to spend money on was the entertainment. They booked DJ Christian Lagrotteria from the SCE Event Group to provide the soundtrack for the evening.

"We saw him in action at my friend's wedding just two weeks before Matt proposed," said Sudia. "We raved about him, saying when we get married one day we need to book with SCE and see if we can get the same DJ."

How they made the wedding special

The couple decided to not only ramp up the ramp up the ceremony with a good DJ, but to add an interactive component to the reception.

"We had a game of Jenga as a guest book alternative," said Sudia. "So that each block was signed with advice."

Weddings, Jersey Style: Melissa Sudia and Matthew BetauThe bride donned a special zombie bride dress for a "Thriller" dance at this wedding at Doolan's Shore Club in Spring Lake.  

The couple also went with the popular wedding tradition of a photo booth, but also brought an element of tailgating to the reception -- baggo. The couple had specially designed bean bags with their names and wedding date printed on them.

There was also mad libs to be filled out, and a special social media inside joke as various wedding guests would take photos with a James Brown doll.

The most memorable moments

The memorable moments for the couple were both sentimental and silly.

"The most memorable moment for me was waiting at the archway with our friends by my side as I watched Melissa walk down the aisle with her dad," said Betau.

"It's tough because there were so many incredible moments," said Sudia.

"One moment was when Matt and I stole away from the dance floor together and just looked out at all our friends and family having a good time, enjoying themselves," said Sudia. "We then looked at each and said how lucky we are to have so many loved ones celebrating with us on our wedding day."  

However, with it being Friday the 13th and all, Sudia couldn't resist adding a little freaky frivolity to the reception -- including a blood-splattered dress.

"At the end of the night I changed into a zombie bride costume, and my closest friends and I performed a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

All photos: Jimmy Hemingway | www.loveispretty.com | jimmyhemingway.com

Bill Bodkin can be reached at bodkinwrites@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.


Boys allegedly wrapped in tape by school janitors get 6-figure settlements, report says

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The children won't receive the money until they turn 25 in 2029

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LONG BRANCH -- The parents of three of the four Long Branch boys allegedly tied up in a school bathroom by two janitors sued the district for $30 million.

The plaintiffs ended up settling for a fraction of their original asking price -- $347,500 in total.

The news was first reported by NJ Civil Settlements, which provides a partial list of settlements paid by New Jersey government agencies and their insurers to those who have sued them.

One boy will receive $108,746.93; a second will get $108,631 while a third is to be paid $143,894.87. All three will be given the money on their 25th birthdays in 2029, according to the settlement.

District superintendent Michael Salvatore said that the then-second grade boys were wrapped in tape or ribbon. 

Surveillance camera captured the two men entering a bathroom that was closed for repairs. Four boys entered the bathroom a short time later.

Salvatore called the March 2012 incident, "a joke gone bad."

Neither worker is still employed by the district. 

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Autopsy pending in death of man in N.J. state park

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Robert Wickward, 55, was found unresponsive in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area around 9:20 a.m. Monday

UPPER FREEHOLD - An autopsy is pending to determine why a Delanco Township man died in the woods of a state park on Monday, police said.

State Police fileNew Jersey State Police 

Robert Wickward, 55, was found unresponsive in Assunpink Wildlife Management Area around 9:20 a.m. at the foot of a tree stand located about 100 yards off Imlaystown-Hightstown Road, Lt. Brian Polite said.

Allentown EMS began CPR while Wickward was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Hamilton, where he was pronounced dead, Polite said.

The cause of death was not immediately known, Polite said.

An autopsy is pending from the Mercer County Medical Examiner's Office. No date was immediately available, Polite said.

Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

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Share your holiday shopping nightmares

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Bamboozled wants to help you this holiday season.

Holiday ShoppingHad a shopping nightmare this holiday season? Tell us about it. (Star-Ledger File Photo) 

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... unless you're shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah and other holiday gifts. Holiday shopping can turn the season into a real grind, but Bamboozled wants to help you make it through.

Share your worst holiday shopping nightmares via the form below. Bamboozled will take a look at your stories, and we'll try to help you resolve them if we can. Do you feel like you were scammed shopping online? Did a store's advertised sale suddenly disappear just as you arrived? Should your local mall get a lump of coal for the way it treats holiday customers? Tell us all about it. Your story could help others avoid the same fate as you. Submit your story below and it may appear on NJ.com.

John Shabe may be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

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N.J. state trooper admits driving drunk during on-duty crash

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No jail time for drunken trooper involved in rest stop crash. Watch video

WALL TOWNSHIP -- A veteran state trooper on Tuesday admitted he was drunk on the job when he rear-ended another driver at a parkway rest stop in October.

Sgt. First Class Michael Roadside pleaded guilty to a single charge of drunken driving during an appearance in Wall Township municipal court. Additional charges of careless driving and having an open container of alcohol were dismissed under a plea deal. 

Roadside, 51, said little during his court appearance, but told Judge Joseph Defino he had "approximately nine beers" prior to the Oct. 26 fender bender, which happened at the Monmouth service area on the Garden State Parkway.

He remains suspended without pay pending an internal investigation, a State Police spokesman said Tuesday.

Roadside's attorney, Robert Ebberup, said his client was a 29-year veteran of the force with a relatively clean driving record, and was accepting full responsibility for his actions.

"He has had no problems during his service for the State Police," Ebberup said. "This is the first time anything like this has happened."

N.J. trooper accused of DWI offered to pay victim not to call 911, records show

roadside_court.jpgState trooper Michael Roadside, left, appears with his attorney Robert Ebberup in Wall municipal court on December 8, 2015.  

'I'm not drunk'

Roadside had been working a construction detail before he rear-ended a white Audi in his marked cruiser in the Monmouth service area on the Garden State Parkway in Wall Township around 2 p.m. that day, police said.

Police reports, dashboard video and a 911 call obtained by NJ Advance Media through an Open Public Records Act request show Roadside initially professed sobriety when state troopers arrived at the scene.

"I'm not drunk," he told on trooper who arrived in response to a 911 call made by the driver of the Audi, Lincroft resident Kimberly Wilson.

Wilson told police that Roadside was visibly drunk, his uniform shirt was on inside out and he had offered to write her a check for $1,000 if she didn't report the accident. When she asked if he was a police officer, she wrote in a witness statement, he opened his shirt to show her his service weapon and a loaded magazine and beer bottle cap fell out.

Roadside initially blamed his behavior on a recent surgery, saying he'd "just got out of the hospital." He also told police that Wilson stopped short, causing him to rear-end her.

But Wilson told police she was sitting at a stop sign when Roadside's troop car collided with her vehicle.

'I'm not drunk,' N.J. trooper charged with DWI says in dashboard video

"I'm scared," she told a 911 operator, claiming he was acting erratically.

A video from inside one of the police vehicles shows Roadside was disoriented and told troopers several time that he wanted to go home to Cinnaminson. After he was placed in the back of the cruiser, a trooper asked him if he could search his cruiser to find his license and paperwork for Roadside's marked troop car. 

"Where we going with this?" Roadside asked the trooper. 

Later, when the trooper told him a breath test showed his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit, Roadside allegedly told him, "I've been way more drunk than that."

No jail time

Ebberup said in court that Roadside was admitted to an in-patient treatment facility for alcohol abuse the day of the accident, and had since enrolled in an Alcoholics Anonymous program.

"My client is standing before you accepting responsibility for what has taken place," he told the judge, adding that Roadside offered apologies to Wilson for the incident.

Ebberup said Roadside was "a cancer patient" who had recently undergone surgery and had suffered a "medical setback" the day before the accident.

"The entire process of going through cancer treatment and surgery was very stressful to my client and when he suffered that setback, it just multiplied the stresses," Ebberup said, adding that it was "no excuse" for his client's actions.

Municipal Prosecutor Steven Zabarsky said that as a member of the State Police, "more than the average person, the sergeant fully knows the consequences of drinking and driving."

Roadside had been assigned to a Statehouse security unit, which provides security at the Capitol Complex in Trenton. He made an annual salary of $110,423, according to state payroll data. The October crash was Roadside's first DWI incident. 

Judge Defino, citing Roadside's official motor vehicle record, said the trooper had been involved in a "series" of on-duty accidents but had relatively few violations.

He said Roadside's actions at the rest stop "undermine the confidence of the public in our public safety officials" and "never should have occurred and should not be tolerated."

But, citing Roadside's relatively clean record, the fact that he accepted responsibility for the crash and that he was experiencing a "medical crisis" prior to the incident, the judge opted not to impose jail time.

Roadside was ordered to pay a $386 fine and fulfill 12 hours at a resource center for intoxicated drivers. He also surrendered his license in court on Tuesday as part of a seven-month suspension. 

Drunken driving is a motor vehicle offense in New Jersey and is not considered a criminal matter. A spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office Division of Criminal Justice, which has in the past investigated alleged State Police misconduct, declined to comment on whether they are considering additional charges.

After the hearing, Roadside and his attorney declined to comment, citing a possible civil suit. Zabarsky said Tuesday that Wilson had retained an attorney.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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N.J. garbage man hit by his own truck

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He was badly hurt while at work in Manalapan

police-lights-file-photojpg-b20a5ff88213a6a8.jpgA sanitation worker was injured when he was struck by his own truck in Manalapan. 

MANALAPAN -- A sanitation worker was seriously injured Tuesday when he was struck by his own garbage truck while picking up garbage in the area of Woodcrest Way, township police said.

Police said the report came in about 1:56 p.m. that the man, Gregory Lamar, 29, of Lakewood, was struck by the truck and his leg was pinned against another motor vehicle.

Authorities said he was taken to the Pine Brook School and then air lifted by helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/12/surveillance_photo_of_suspect_wanted_in_wall_atm_r.html

Police said the driver of the garbage truck, Shavar Williams, 40, of Cliffwood, received a summons for driving while suspended when officers found his driver's license was suspended.

Lamar and Williams worked for Future Sanitations Inc.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Wreaths laid in honor of veterans at N.J.'s Vietnam memorial

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The Wreaths Across America tour stopped in Holmdel on Wednesday en route to Arlington National Cemetery.

HOLMDEL -- Anita Rochelle-Keyser knows her big brother is looking down at her from heaven with a smile on his face.

Her brother, Cpl. Horace "Bud" Thorne, served in World War II and died during the Battle of the Bulge -- which Winston Churchill referred to as "the greatest American battle of the war."

Thorne died in December 1944 but his image -- and spirit -- will live on in the form of a cardboard cutout at the Wreaths Across America Museum in Columbia Falls, ME.

"He was always a big brother and he's still a big brother," Rochell-Keyser said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Rochell-Keyser was presented with the cutout and a wreath in honor of her brother, who has a middle school named after him in Middletown. Children from the school's choir were present to perform.

Rochell-Keyser was one of 16 Gold Star families -- families who've had a loved one die while serving -- to receive a remembrance wreath as part of the Wreaths Across America tour -- a six-day journey that makes stops throughout the East Coast to honor military service members.

That tour made a stop at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel where seven wreaths were also laid in honor of each branch of the military.

"I want to remember that it's not just him," Rochell-Keyser said of the cutout that will stand in the Maine museum. "His being there is representative of every veteran because they were all important, they are all serving the country and my brother would be honored."

Honoring heroesChristmas wreaths adorn head stones at Arlington National Cemetery. (U.S. Air Force courtesy of Master Sgt. Jim Varhegy).

The Wreaths Across America tour started in 1992 in Harrington, ME, and was a product of an ordering mistake by the Worcester Wreath Company. The company's owners, Morrill and Karen Worcester, had a surplus of 5,000 wreaths, and instead of throwing them away, they decided to lay them in Arlington National Cemetery.

The tradition continued ever since and now makes more than two-dozen stops in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C, before culminating in Arlington, VA. In 2014, more than 700,000 wreaths were laid at more than 1,000 locations.

As the sun cut through the cloudy sky Wednesday in Holmdel, the ceremony had its uplifting moments but was mainly somber.

Speaking at the podium in front of a couple hundred, Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley said the country is facing an unprecedented challenge today because at least in the past "we knew who the enemy was."

"When you have something that's great," he continued, "when you have something that is the best, there is always some son of a (expletive) somewhere that wants to take it away from you."

The statement received a thunderous applause from the crowd and even a couple "amens."

Karen Worcester, executive director of Wreaths Across America, told the members of the Gold Star families that they are a constant reminder of why she embarks on this journey each year.

"I've gotten to know so many of you and I've been doing this for a few years," she said, as tears started to fall down her face. "I just want to tell you that what you've taught me ... to value my freedom, make my pledge to you to try to take care of the country and the freedom that you've given us. And to hug my own babies every night."

Grand Marshal Carmine A. Pecorelli, 91, a World War II veteran from Jersey City, said he's been overwhelmed by what he's seen throughout the journey thus far.

"It's evidence of something we can't put into words," he said. "How do we express gratitude to those who served? You can't do it with words, so you do it with gifts."

Pecorelli said along the way people have stopped their cars and even ran from their homes to wave as the Wreaths Across America caravan drives by.

Pecorelli's co-grand marshal, Gordon Kelley, 74, said public support has increased immensely since he came back from Vietnam in 1968.

"It's great, it's an eye-opening experience to see the outpouring of emotion from everyone, from state troopers to the children from school," said Kelley, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military award in the U.S. Army.

He added: "It's good to see people honor the serviceman again."

After Holmdel, the caravan finished the day with a stop in Bordentown. On Thursday, it will stop in Philadelphia and Wayne, Pa., before heading to Maryland.

It concludes on Saturday in Arlington National Cemetery where Pecorelli said thousands will be gathered.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Colt's Neck equestrian overcomes struggles, inspires many

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Kathy Poppe been an inspiration to her students long before her recent misfortunes, and several of them nominated her as Central Jersey Horsemen's Association Trainer of the Year.

Indefatigable -- a term meaning "persisting tirelessly." It's a description that fits trainer Kathy Poppe, of Colts Neck.

The past two years haven't been easy for the long-time equestrian and instructor. During that time, she endured the amputation of both legs. Today, she has one prosthetic leg with a hydraulic ankle, while the other has electronic components. While she hasn't been back on a horse yet, she recently sat on a saddle while a technician made adjustments so that she could use the leg properly when riding. Poppe -- indefatigable -- is determined not only to ride again, but to go foxhunting.

She's been an inspiration to her students long before her recent misfortunes, and several of them nominated her as Central Jersey Horsemen's Association (CHJA) Trainer of the Year.

Poppe received the CJHA Trainer of the Year at the organization's annual banquet on Nov. 20. "The award by CJHA as Trainer of the Year is beyond great and totally unexpected. In a field of trainers, great trainers and hard knockers for many years, it is a singular privilege," said Poppe.

Certain criteria must be met for the award, according to CJHA treasurer and points secretary Paula Sagui. "The trainer has inspired their student(s) in the areas of horsemanship, showmanship and sportsmanship; who has contributed to the betterment of CJHA and the New Jersey horse industry and has demonstrated special expertise in the training of horse and rider. The only other requirements are that both the nominator and nominee trainer must be current year members of CJHA," she said.

Poppe received three nominations. The committee reviewing nominations received them with her name and the name of the farm removed, so as not to influence opinion. The edited nominations below do include Poppe's identifying information.

Letter 1: "Kathy is more than just another trainer that knows their way around horses; she embodies what a truly amazing person is. Kathy had a lot going on and wasn't home for a while. However, never did I feel like I didn't have any guidance or support. Even though she had her own problems to fight for and worry about, Kathy never stopped putting us as a priority.

What Kathy went through compared to where she is now is unbelievable. She has showed us all that anything is truly possible if you push yourself and never give up. Along with all the amazing life lessons we've been taught, I've learned so much about working with horses. Kathy is always there to help us and make us better riders, and she does this without failing to also put a smile on everyone's face.

Kathy survived things that no one should have to go through, and during those tough times she still somehow always managed to be at the side of the gate yelling at me to keep my leg on. She suffered so much, however she never let anyone see. She kept her brave face on for us and showed us what it is means to be a fighter.

Today I witnessed Kathy walk to the ring with no help at all. She walked in, closed the gate behind her and cracked a joke like it was nothing. But after having both legs amputated, this was not nothing; this was incredible. However this was nothing new, as Kathy finds ways to amaze us every day. In a golf cart or in a wheelchair, in freezing or in 90 degree weather, Kathy was always right there by our sides -- even when she really shouldn't have been -- and never did she crack and let us see how much pain she was actually in, all for her students. Kathy truly deserves this award, and so much more."

Letter 2: "Imagining have to juggle dozens of lives as well as your own. Caring, supporting, loving, pushing, risking for so many people could be hard. However, my trainer makes it look easy. Every day, she puts up with making sure everybody is happy and well. Our dozen horses and many riders, Kathy puts first. In addition to putting people first, she had to be really strong the past two years because of the tough losses (of body parts, horses, and humans) she and Woodhollow experienced.

Kathy is such a strong person that she could make anybody look weak without even trying. Kathy focuses more on her people having fun, which is the main reason why people love Woodhollow. Kathy made my life so interesting and exciting the past eight years that I don't know what pothole I would be under if it wasn't for her. She makes everybody laugh and have a good time no matter what. She is truly an inspirational person that has done way too much for us, more than we all deserve.

Kathy is so much more than a trainer. She is our guidelines and considers Woodhollow family. She has such an impact and influence on other people's lives. Without her, many of us will be lost."

Letter 3: "Kathy has been through one of the toughest years. To be able to put aside all of her troubles to come out and make sure her students have her help and support is amazing. Kathy has helped take me and my horse from unsuccessful hunter to a success in the dressage ring. About two weeks before the show in September I decided to try dressage. After about one week I decided to enter in the show. Instead of saying that I should wait, or Lee was unprepared, she made sure I felt that we were ready and that no matter what happens as long as we made it through the day without any problems that it would be worth bringing him."

Poppe, who didn't start riding until the age of 25, also worked in corporate America for 25 years, leaving around 1990. She began with airline/flight school, then on to management positions in different companies, ending with Revlon. There, for example, she managed a fleet of 3,500 cars and the entire office services program in New York for 1,500 people in five buildings.

Her professional equestrian career began in 1984, with the purchase of Woodhollow Farm in Colts Neck. Last year, the farm received "Gold Medal" status from Rutgers University, a designation based on environmental responsibility. She is a United States Equestrian Federation judge for hunters, jumpers and equitation, and numbers some top people in the industry as close personal friends.

A passionate foxhunter, Poppe notes she is the only teaching professional over the past 30 years who takes her students foxhunting and also has the horses going to major shows. She hunted with the old Hidden Hollow Hounds, in Holmdel, N.J., Blue Ridge in Virginia and the Monmouth County Hunt (MCH) as a member with colors. Her junior riders all show, and foxhunt with the MCH.

Poppe credits her husband, Gary Pullen, for his abilities as "a first rate barn manager, mechanic and horseman." She has been working for more than 20 years as an equine therapist dealing with lasers, magnetic therapy, and reiki. "I have taken numerous horses off the race track, broken and not, and put them in new jobs and a future starting long before it was fashionable to do so. God has been very good to me," she said. "If I didn't have the experience rebuilding [off-the-track thoroughbreds], I wouldn't be able to rebuild myself."

When asked about her training philosophy, Poppe replied that her goal is horsemanship. That includes horse care, but also being tough. "There will come a day in life when we all have to be really tough," she said. "If I were not a horse person, riding 40 years -- if that were not me, I would not be here," she said, referring to her recent struggles.

Lindsey Sickles has known Poppe since 1986 and has worked as a "jack of all trades" at Woodhollow for the past 11 years. She said Poppe was always generous with time, and "puts her whole heart into her kids." Sickles described Woodhollow as a family, and everyone came together during Poppe's recuperation.

One former student, Kayla Stroz, now teaches at Palermo Show Stable, in Bedminster, N.J. "From the age of 8, Kathy not only taught me how to ride, but also what it is to be a horsewoman. Through her, I learned not only how to ride and care for the horses, but also how to trust them while developing my own equine passion," said Stroz.

"Whether the lessons I gained came from winning a class at a horse show, or dealing with a setback, Kathy taught me what it means to never give up." She adds that in her own instruction of beginner riders, she hopes to impart some of the knowledge and love of the sport that Kathy gave her, because it truly shaped her into the young adult she is today. "Woodhollow was always a safe haven for me growing up if I were having a bad day. I am sure her current students will continue to benefit from the love Kathy gives to the sport and her horses. She is a beautiful example of what determination can get you and a truly important part of my life," said Stroz.

Poppe is now fluid around the barn, and can get on the tractor. One of her near-term goals is to "conquer the clutch." While she still uses crutches, she refuses to use a wheelchair anymore, and frequently gets around on a rollator.

"I can now walk into the ring with confidence," she said.

For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition. Find Horse News on Facebook 

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Vintage photos of 'things we survived' in N.J.

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Were these things dangerous? Sometimes, certainly. Some things from the past had to change.

The pictures and the prose are posted on the internet often; they've become a meme.

It's a photo of individuals involved in some activity from days gone by with a heading akin to "and we survived." Or, it's a list of relatively common occurrences from a generation or two ago -- i.e., staying out until the streetlights came on -- with a similar sentiment.

10702195_525131694303175_98901183475252032_n.jpgMy ramp would have been even less sturdy. 

They are activities and occurrences that, for one reason or another, have been relegated to the past.

Let me say right up front that I'm not taking any "sides" here. This is not an attempt to indict any present-day practices/beliefs nor is it an effort to make anyone from the past look "less than bright." Believe me, I've participated in my fair share of stupid stunts. And, apparently it runs in the family. My Dad, who was a brilliant electrical engineer, admits to having once, as a child, jumped off the roof of his house holding an umbrella "to see what would happen." What happened was what you would expect to happen, though no bones were broken.

One of the things that often gets overlooked in those listicles is that children from my generation and previous ones didn't have as much to choose from as kids today. There weren't as many organized activities, there weren't as many TV channels, there weren't any computer games. And, back then mothers would regularly encourage their kids to "go outside and get some fresh air!" So, in our interest in avoiding boredom, we oftentimes did things that could be looked back on -- with the benefit of hindsight -- as stupid. And, having participated in many of them, I can also say in hindsight that they were fun.

Were these things dangerous? Sometimes, certainly. The 'clackers' craze from the 1970, for example - everyone had to have a set of the solid balls on string. It might not have been easy to "take an eye out with those things," but fingers, noses and other body parts were in jeopardy.

Some things from the past had to change. In a 2014 article in the New York Times, Jane Brody noted that "the prevalence of peanut allergy among children in the United States has risen more than threefold, to 1.4 percent in 2010 from 0.4 percent in 1997, according to a study by food allergists at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City." Some may wax nostalgic for the days of classroom parties with all sorts of homemade treats (nuts included), but facts are facts - and in many cases the risk is most definitely not worth the reward.

Others leave many of us shaking our heads. There really doesn't seem to be any explanation why generations of children played "tag" or dodgeball on playgrounds, only to find, in the 21st century, that some people find these exercises harmful and ban the games.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

So, instead of trying to prove anything, let's just enjoy a look back at some of the things many of us did in New Jersey years ago ... and survived. Be sure to click on the captions button to read more about these vintage photos.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Allentown students interview veterans for Library of Congress project

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On the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Allentown high school students conducted video interviews with local war veterans to be collected for the U.S. Library of Congress.

ALLENTOWN -- Dr. Reno Zinzarella treated wounded soldiers in the Korean War.

His "favorite" patient, he recalled this week: "was a West Pointer who got shot with 37 machine gun bullets and lived."

"He wanted me to give him something to commit suicide," Zinzarella said. "I said 'no way.'"

Those were the type of stories that Allentown High School students elicited from veterans on Monday, Dec. 7, the 74th anniversary of the 1941 Pearl Harbor attacks.

The students conducted video interviews with local war veterans to be collected and preserved for future generations in the U.S. Library of Congress, as part of the library's Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center.

The project asks volunteers to film interviews with veterans talking about their life and military service from wars stretching from the Iraq War back to World War I.

Students from Allentown's Leo Club, affiliated with the Lions Club International, and the History National Honor Society signed up to interview 10 veterans. Students in a technology program at the high school filmed the interviews, Leo Club Administrator Nancy Reyes said.

"I saw the program in the paper a couple of years ago," Reyes said. "I told Michael (Dean) about it and he suggested launching it on Pearl Harbor Day. Everyone was excited about the idea."

Allentown High School IT manager Michael Dean, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy Reserve since 1988, already operates a program with technology students who go to the Four Seasons retirement community in Upper Freehold to help residents with computer issues.

Dean said there were many military veterans through that program who were willing to be a part of the Veterans History Project, but attributes most of the leg work to Reyes.

"She did all the hard work," Dean said. "She literally did everything."

Reyes - who also teaches special education at the school - said once the video interviews are complete, one copy will be kept at the high school, one will go to the veteran and one will be preserved in the Library of Congress.

The students held two sessions of interviews and Reyes said since there were so many more veteran volunteers than the school expected they will be doing the project again later in the year.

"We thought we wouldn't have enough volunteers," Reyes said. "Then we were overflowing with them."

Junior and History National Honor student Mari Kay Hannon conducted a special interview with her grandfather, Leo Hannon, who she said never discussed his service in the Navy during World War II with her prior to Monday.

"It's really cool," Mari Kay Hannon said. "I'm glad I got to do this." She also presented Leo Hannon with a framed U.S. Navy crest.

Upper Freehold School District Superintendent Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick - a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1972 - said his father was in World War II and present in Germany when Hitler ended his life.

His father died at the age of 43 when Fitzpatrick was only 17, and the superintendent said he regrets the questions he never got a chance to ask him before his death.

"As people pass, these stories are lost," Fitzpatrick said. He remembered when he was a child being "shooed" out of rooms when his father and friends would start recanting war tales.

"I remember being so scared," Fitzpatrick said. "You would hear someone talk about being tortured and I was like this is scary, scary stuff."

For Fitzpatrick, his service began in 1969 when he signed up for the draft while teaching the fifth grade in Massachusetts. He said he finished off the school year, got married to his wife Jane and entered the Air Force in September.

He said he remembered being intimidated at first by the large-scale training exercises which included tending to fake victims in a plane crash. "We would have to attend to all these injured people," Fitzpatrick said. "I kept saying, 'I may really have to do this. I don't know if I can do this.'"

Both Fitzpatrick and Zinzarella said they remembered watching real videos of soldiers in combat during World War II as part of their training.

Zinzarella said most of the trainees threw up, cried or passed out after watching them.

"I didn't do all that," Zinzarella said. He signed up for the draft in 1950 and served six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and three years on active duty.

Zinzarella said he took advantage of the GI Bill, allowing him to get a master's from the University of Pennsylvania and later his doctorate from Rutgers University.

Most of his service in Korea was as a physical therapist, tending to wounded Korean War soldiers.

After his service, Zinzarella worked for 37 years in public school systems as a principal, superintendent and teacher. He and his wife Helene Zinzarella - who also worked as a teacher on and off for 25 years - retired in 2001.

Four Seasons resident Cliff Maurer, the former police chief in Plainsboro, said he was fortunate to have never been sent overseas during his time in the service in the Vietnam War from 1963 to 1965. He served in New Jersey, at a missle site in Holmdel.

"Most of the people I went through training with were sent," he said.

Maurer said he hopes students get a sense of "commitment, belief in values of this country and dedication" from the project.

Fitzpatrick said students also can learn from the past. The same issue of whether or not war is warranted that led people to protest Vietnam is present today in how America should handle terrorism in the Middle East.

"The sad part for me was several people I went to college with didn't come home," Fitzpatrick said. "There are people now saying 'we need more boots on the ground.' These boots are our young people. They have moms and dads and some of them spouses."

Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

'Suspicious device' investigated on NJ Transit bus

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The New Jersey State Police said in a tweet said that it assisted Marlboro police with the investigation, which has all lanes shut down near the intersection of Robertsville Road. Watch video

MARLBORO -- Authorities investigated a suspicious device found on a NJ Transit bus on Route 9 Thursday morning, police said.

The New Jersey State Police said in a tweet that it was assisting Marlboro police with the investigation, which shut down all lanes on Route 9 for approximately an hour near the intersection of Route 520. 

Police and NJ Transit officials could be seen going in and out of the bus, which was parked on the southbound side of Route 9. The northbound side of traffic reopened minutes after a police K-9 dog exited the bus.

Shortly after 10 a.m., the New Jersey State Police tweeted that the "suspicious item in Marlboro is being cleared up" and that the Marlboro Township Police Department would be the lead agency moving forward.

"High 5 to citizens reporting suspicious activity on bus," the New Jersey State Police tweeted. "No threat, but that's the way it's supposed to work. See something say something."

Traffic was reopened in both directions as of 10 a.m. However, motorists in the area were still dealt with residual delays in the area at that time. 

NJ Advance Media's Rob Spahr contributed to this report.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

N.J. singer Charlie Puth adds Golden Globe nod to impressive resume

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This week has proven unforgettable for the pop newcomer from Rumson

RUMSON -- This week has proven unforgettable for Charlie Puth. 

After three Grammy nominations Monday, the Rumson singer-songwriter has more to celebrate as Thursday's 2016 Golden Globe nominations names his smash Wiz Khalifa collaboration "See You Again" under the Best Original Song category, for its appearance in "Furious 7."

Puth, Khalifa and their co-songwriters stack up against Ellie Goulding's hit "Love Me Like You Do" from "50 Shades of Grey," among others, but none of their competitors saw the mammoth success of Monmouth County 24-year-old's delicate hook.

The song, written in tribute to late "Furious" actor Paul Walker, spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it's music video has been viewed on YouTube more than 1.2 billion times -- the video giant's fourth-most-watched clip of all time. 

The track was nominated Monday for Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song for Visual Media at the 2016 Grammy Awards. 

Puth releases his debut LP "Nine Track Mind" Jan. 29 via Atlantic Records. 

 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook

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Meet 7 N.J. guys who play Santa all year long

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It's a holly jolly Christmas all year long for many of these "authentic" Jersey Santas.

It's hard not to bump into Santa at this time of year. Whether perched on a float in a Christmas parade, ringing a bell for the Salvation Army or seated before a line of wriggling children winding through the mall, the "right jolly old elf" is in great demand. As well he should be.

But this is about a different breed of Santa. It's about bearded Jersey guys who bleach their facial hair and star in television commercials. These Santas keep the spirit alive all year long and command celebrity status, often stopped by awestruck tots as they walk down a sidewalk in July. Many have a closetful of custom-made Santa suits, along with fiercely loyal clients who might fly them to Florida for a private party or book them to appear at (or preside over) a wedding.

Most, if not all, have liability insurance and undergo an annual background check. Some share trade secrets as members of fraternal Santa organizations, such as the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas and the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas.

And they charge anywhere from nothing (for a charitable event) to $500 or more, depending on the gig.

There are many dedicated Santas in the Garden State who seek only to keep the wonder alive. Here, we share the stories of a handful of Jersey Santas who know how to work the ho, ho, holidays throughout the year.

SANTA TOM AND MRS. CLAUS


santa16.jpgGenerations of families have visited Lord & Taylor in Westfield for 18 years to have their pictures taken with Santa Tom and Mrs. Claus, as played by Tom Pearson, of Whiting, and Joan Potts, of Ocean Gate. 

Tom Pearson has appeared as Santa in television commercials and on the former "Late Show With David Letterman."

But what's most rewarding, he says, are the many generations who have shown up over the past 18 years to see him and Joan Potts play Santa and Mrs. Claus at Lord & Taylor in Westfield.

"There's one man from Fanwood. He has the whole family album, with every one of his children," says Pearson, 68, a father and grandfather who lives in Whiting. "The boys are now in college and they still come every year."

"Last year (2014), a man brought in 10 years' worth of pictures of us at Lord & Taylor," says Potts, 69, an Ocean Gate resident, who has three children and four grandchildren.

The pair use a Hollywood costume designer and have 11 outfits between them. "I have three," Potts says. "When we do a house party, with a pool in July, I have a cotton skirt with a vest."

"I have a couple of different red bathing suits and I wear my Santa hat," Pearson says.

He also has a sequined Santa suit, along with the more traditional outfit. Potts paid $900 for one dress and cape; Pearson's most expensive suit cost about $3,000.

Stopped on the street by excited -- sometimes skeptical -- children, the bearded Pearson chooses to neither confirm nor deny Santa's existence.

"I just say to them, 'Well, you never know. Are you being good?' And I wink. That's where I leave it."

FATHER CHRISTMAS

santa17.jpgFor more than 25 years, Ron Lomerson has been portraying Father Christmas during Clinton's Dickens Days. The Lebanon Township resident dons his hooded burgundy velveteen robe and carries a greens-covered staff as he greets passersby on the town's streets.  

Already incredibly charming at the holidays, the quaint town of Clinton is made more so by the appearance of Father Christmas, a striking figure in his hooded, burgundy velveteen robe and carefully coiffed hair.

"I have a real beard. My hair is very long and tied up in the back," says Ron Lomerson, 58, a retired state employee who lives with his wife in Lebanon. "There's a lady in Clinton who bleaches my hair, beard and mustache every year, as white as you can get it. Then, my hair gets curled and the curls hang down in front."

Lomerson began his Santa career in the traditional fashion nearly 30 years ago. At that time, he weighed about 400 pounds and couldn't find a modern Santa suit that would fit him. So his wife draped him with velveteen and fake fur and -- without a sewing pattern -- created the English-style costume that makes him so distinguishable today.

Now more than 100 pounds lighter, Father Christmas dons his original suit each year ("My wife is thinking it's time to retire that one and make a new one"), lending an ear to children eager to whisper Christmas wishes.

"They don't want the pony anymore. They don't want the little race car. They want the computerized stuff now," says Lomerson, a mainstay of Clinton's annual Dickens Days during the weekend after Thanksgiving. "But they're still excited. There's still the anticipation. It's what makes it worthwhile."

Still, he says he's had some tough requests, including "Can you get my mom and dad back together?"

"Things like that really tug at the heartstrings," says Lomerson, who tells the child that there are wishes that Santa can't grant. "Some things can't be wrapped up in a box with a bow."

SANTA TOM Z.

santa18A.jpg"We want to keep this alive as long as we can and in the hearts of children of all ages," says Tom Zimecki, of Edgewater Park, as he cradles one of Santa's very young fans at The New Leaf Tea Room in Riverton.  

Tom Zimecki started out 15 years ago as a relief Santa, substituting in shopping malls from South to Central Jersey when a scheduled Santa called out sick. He says he soon decided against the long hours and sometimes backbreaking work of a mall Santa.

Now, Zimecki does home visits, school fundraisers and charitable gatherings. His resume of advertisements, events and appearances reads like a corporate who's who: Microsoft, Kmart, MasterCard, Tourneau, Clorox, Southwest Airlines and the Philadelphia Phillies, to name a few. He's been on "Fox & Friends" every Christmas morning for the past five years and he's joined Elmo and friends on the streets of Sesame Place, the theme park in Langhorne, Pa.

"When I see someone and their eyes light up, no matter what age, I just smile back and give them a wink, and I'm fulfilled," says the 63-year-old Edgewater Park resident, who is married and has three children and two grandchildren.

Zimecki has about nine custom-made Santa suits, some costing up to $1,000. He also has Santa outfits for golf, baseball and working as a chef (for baking cookies, of course).

"And I have my summer outfits," he says. "I have sneakers that are green and say 'Santa' on the side of them. I've got the Santa shirts with Santa surfing or on a jet ski."

He's a year shy of retirement from his job with the Burlington County Board of Social Services, when he plans to devote himself to being Kris Kringle full time.

"It's a smile and a twinkle," he says, when asked what makes a great Santa. "When you take on the role and you are going to portray him, there are some things you take upon yourself."

Like never smoking or drinking, or leaving the house upset.

"For all of us who dress up in the red suit, we want to keep this alive as long as we can and in the hearts of the children of all ages."

SCUBA SANTA DAVE

santa19.jpg"Santa should look the same, dive after dive. We don't want to break any child's illusion or that magical moment," says Dave DeBoer, a dive safety officer at Advenutre Aquarium in Camden. DeBoer and other volunteers wear custom-made neoprene wet suits when they appear as Scuba Santa in the aquarium's 760,000-gallon fish tank. 

Imagine diving into 760,000 gallons of seawater filled with sharks, stingrays and lots of fish. Now... imagine doing so in a neoprene Santa suit, wearing a costume beard and a red Santa cap.

"In the beginning, we'd jump in the water, the hat would pop off and we'd have to hold it as we were doing a show," says David DeBoer, who first portrayed Scuba Santa 15 years ago at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. "Or our beard would be covering our face. It got pretty hairy for a while, no pun intended."

While he does not have a real beard, the 50-year-old DeBoer says he and other divers who have appeared as Scuba Santa take the job seriously, donning the same costume each time.

"We want to keep the consistent look of Santa for every dive, in case a kid visits a second time," says the Long Branch resident, now a dive safety officer at the aquarium. "Santa should look the same, dive after dive. We don't want to break any child's illusion or that magical moment."

Scuba Santa takes an elf (also dressed in a custom-made neoprene wet suit) with him into the huge fish tank. Volunteers take turns being Scuba Santa, sometimes diving five and six times a day during the holiday season.

While most of the animals tend to keep their distance, a few are a bit curious about the red-flippered oddity with the snow-white beard. "The turtles are always a little inquisitive about anything that's new," says DeBoer, a married father of three.

SANTA RAY

santa20.jpgRay Beesley, of Paterson, adjusts his furry hat as he prepares to meet children in the "Christmas Ice Caverns" at Jody's Silk Florist and Patio Center in Fairfield.  

Ray Beesley's website (northjerseysanta.com) tells devotees which days he'll be wearing his traditional red garb -- as opposed to his distinctive Victorian Santa suit -- at the "Christmas Ice Caverns," at Jody's Silk Florist and Patio Center in Fairfield.

But it's his white Santa suit that may grab the most attention. The 65-year-old Paterson resident dons it for Christmas-in-July weddings, which he is paid to attend. He marked his seventh wedding as Santa in as many years in 2015.

At one nuptial service several years ago, guests received a small wrapped present as they entered the church. Each was told not to open or shake it until after the vows had been declared.

"After the couple had their kiss, and before they walked back down the aisle, I walked up in my white Santa outfit," says the married father of six children and five grandchildren. "I came up the center aisle. People were amazed. Inside those white little packages were silver bells. They all started ringing their bells. The farther I got up the aisle, the louder the bells got."

When Beesley was younger, he used his mother's shoe polish to whiten his beard. (She was a nurse.) Now, he says he's gray enough to pull it off without bleach or shoe polish.

Beesley says the benefit of playing St. Nick is immeasurable. "I get joy," he says simply. "I'm so lucky."

SANTA JOHN AND MRS. CLAUS


santa21.jpg"Because it's a real beard, in their hearts, (kids) feel that this is really Santa," says John Wenner, of Woodbury Heights, who has played Santa for 10 years. Here, he shares a moment with Harrison Knoch, of Princeton, at Kuser Farm Mansion in Hamilton. 

John Wenner asks that his interview be held at 1300 hours on a given day, a tip-off that this particular Santa was a career military man. The now-retired Wenner spent four years in the U.S. Navy and 40 more years at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, its naval shipyard and elsewhere.

Not surprisingly, his first gig as Santa was at the Fort Dix tree lighting ceremony 10 years ago. Since then, Wenner, 66, and his wife, Shirley, as Mrs. Claus are in much demand at private parties and events.

"Generally, if someone asks for a Mrs. Claus, they have a specific role for her, either to tell stories or to give out gifts," says Shirley Wenner, 64. "I'm a retired schoolteacher, so I tend to talk to the children about their favorite books or things they like to do at school."

The couple has four children and three young grandchildren, and they live in Woodbury Heights.

Wenner's tailor, who lives in Michigan, created a "traditional Coca-Cola Santa suit" for him and a lighter jacket for when Santa is stuck inside for long periods of time. Like some of the other Santas, Wenner's beard is real.

"I don't bleach it," he says. "To me, a pure white beard doesn't portray Santa as I would see him.

"The kids look at the beard and they don't care if it's pure white or not. It's real to them. They can touch it, pull on it and it doesn't come off. Because it's a real beard, in their hearts, they feel that this is really Santa."

SANTA CHESTER

santa22.jpgChester Davis, of Manalapan, says playing Santa allows him to enjoy "creating memories for children to last a lifetime." 

"If I told you I was Santa Claus all my life, you'd never believe me," says Chester Davis. "But it's more than what is on the outside with the red suit. It's what's inside and what you do."

The married grandfather of four from Manalapan has a "toy workshop" outfit (knee-length britches, red-striped socks, fur-lined Crocs), a Western suit (red overalls and a Stetson), an Old World robe (lush and long) and casual summer St. Nick wear, among other costumes. He has his beard bleached each December and uses special hair-care products to keep it soft.

Davis' list of credits include commercials for AT&T and Samsung, and Skype sessions with children in Liverpool, England. He has a piano-playing elf. ("Matter of fact, I have three of those.")

He went on a cruise to the Caribbean with 20 other Santas in March 2015. And he's an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church, which offers online ordination.

"I married somebody ... in a zoo," says Davis, 62. "It was a pirate wedding. I had my Capuchin monk's robe on."

Davis says he has carried the Christmas spirit within since he was young. Now, he enjoys "creating memories for children to last a lifetime."

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'Suspicious device' on NJ Transit bus was a clock, police say

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The bus was on its way to Lakewood from Newark when Marlboro police stopped it at around 8:30 on Route 9 near Robertsville Road, said Jim Smith, a NJ Transit spokesman. Watch video

MARLBORO -- The suspicious device that prompted an evacuation of an NJ Transit bus Thursday morning on Route 9 was a small travel clock, police said.

The bus was on its way to Lakewood from Newark when Marlboro police stopped it at around 8:30 a.m. on Route 9 near Robertsville Road, said Jim Smith, a NJ Transit spokesman. 

As passengers were exiting the bus at various stops along the route, several people alerted the driver that they noticed a suspicious device on the lap of a man, Marlboro police chief Bruce Hall said.

Hall said the man had just got off a flight from Israel and was heading to see his family in Lakewood, and had a clock on top of his lap that he was using to tell time.

"He had very little rest and he was trying to be on time to visit his family," Hall said, adding that the man was part of the Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood.

Capt. Fred Reck described the clock in a press release as a "small travel style clock."

Authorities commended the passengers onboard the NJ Transit bus for speaking up.

"High 5 to citizens reporting suspicious activity on bus," the New Jersey State Police tweeted. "No threat, but that's the way it's supposed to work. See something say something."

Hall said, "Unfortunately in these times, people are on edge but it's better to say something."

There were 15 passengers on the bus when it was stopped, and they were transported to another bus, Smith said.

Route 9 was shut down in both directs for a couple hours. Marlboro police led the investigation with the assistance of the State Police bomb unit and NJ Transit officials.

Traffic was reopened at around 10 a.m. after a NJ Transit K-9 dog cleared the bus, Smith said. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Trio, including cop, indicted in connection to fatal shooting

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Three men, including a police officer, have been indicted by Ocean County Grad Jury in connection to the April killing of a Jackson Township man

TOMS RIVER - Three men were indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury in connection to the April killing of a Jackson Township man, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced Thursday.

Shortly after 11 p.m. April 9, Jackson Township police responded to Casanova Ristorante on South New Prospect Road for a report of an injured employee.

Hector CalderonHector Calderon, 47, of Freehold was arrested hours after, police say, he allegedly fatally shot a man in a defunct restaurant Thursday evening, authorities said. 

Responding officers found the body of Peyman Sanandaji, 34, of Jackson, within the restaurant, which had not been open to the public for some time but people had gathered inside of it the night of the incident, Coronato said in April.

Sanandaji died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.

A subsequent investigation determined that Sanandaji was shot during the course of an altercation with Hector Calderon, 48, of Freehold Borough, authorities said.

Prosecutor's office Detectives John Murphy and John Carroll responded to Calderon's residence, along with the Freehold Borough police, and arrested Calderon without incident within hours of the shooting, the prosecutor's office said.

RELATED: Cop charged with hindering murder investigation appears in court

Daniele RomeodiSantillo, 27, of Manalapan, was arrested on April 17 after investigators determined he was also present at the time of the killing and that the shooting took place during a meeting between RomeodiSantillo, Calderon and Sanandaji, authorities said.

Eric ProsniewskiJackson Police Officer Eric Prosniewski (Ocean County Prosecutor's Office) 

On May 14, 2015, Jackson Township police officer Eric Prosniewski, 45, was arrested after authorities said he lied to help his friend, RomeodiSantillo, during the murder investigation.

Prosniewski - a 12-year veteran earning more than $112,000 a year - was suspended without pay pending the resolution of the criminal charges, which could send him to prison for up to 10 years, officials said.

Authorities did not say what Prosniewski allegedly did to help RomeodiSantillo, but Coronato and Jackson Police Chief Matthew Kunz said Prosniewski was off-duty at the time.

The indictment charges Calderon and RomeodiSantillo with murder, conspiracy, and weapons charges.  The Grand Jury also found special aggravating factors applicable to the murder charge, the prosecutor's office said. 

Additionally, the Grand Jury indicted RomeodiSantillo and Prosniewski for hindering and conspiracy to hinder.

The case is being prosecuted by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weatherstone.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook

 
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Prostitution sting in Wall, Hazlet nets 19 arrests

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The multi-agency operation was carried out on the weekend of Dec. 4 at two locations in Wall and Hazlet, according to an announcement from Sheriff Shaun Golden.

police lights file photo.jpgThe multi-agency operation was carried out on the weekend of Dec. 4 at two locations in Wall and Hazlet, authorities said. (File photo).

FREEHOLD -- Authorities charged 19 people in connection with a prostitution sting in Monmouth County

The multi-agency operation was carried out on the weekend of Dec. 4 at two locations in Wall and Hazlet, according to an announcement from Sheriff Shaun Golden. Authorities did not say specifically where the arrests occurred. 

The sting netted the arrests of individuals who live across New Jersey and as far away as Rochester, N.Y., Golden said.

Of the 19 people, 12 women were charged with solicitation of prostitution; seven were charged with promotion of prostitution. Some were also charged with various drug and weapons offenses.

The sting was carried out by the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, the F.B.I., Hazlet Police Department and the Wall Township Police Department.

"Prostitution is not a victimless crime and we need to put a dent in illegal sex trafficking since it lures underage individuals into this illicit trade and leads to other criminal activities," Golden said. "I commend all involved for their diligent work which yielded positive results and will help keep our communities safer."

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said operations like this help deter prostitution activity from happening in the future.

"We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to address the solicitation and promotion of prostitution in an effort to improve the quality of life for everyone in Monmouth County and to decrease the risk of criminal activity to our neighborhoods," Gramiccioni said.

The following people were arrested in Wall Township and charged with solicitation of prostitution:

Shakera Dickerson, Freehold
Falcon Cook, Brick
Riesha Hinton, Washington, D.C.
Abidemi Roberts, Passaic, also charged with possession of a weapon
Andre Frazier, Ozone Park, N.Y.
Sabrina Cisternino, Asbury Park, also charged with possession of drugs

Jason Cruz, of Woodhaven, N.Y., and Sean Jacobs, of Atlantic City, were each charged with promoting prostitution. Jacobs was also charged with possession of marijuana.

The following people were arrested in Hazlet and charged with solicitation of prostitution:

Catherine Chrysler, New York, N.Y.
Nazleen Rodriguez, Perth Amboy
Jessica Brown, Philadelphia
Shavarra Henson, Trenton
Stephanie Green, Rochester, N.Y.
Fanisha James, East Rochester, N.Y.
Angelina Randazzo, Green Brook, also charged with possession of drugs, possession of drugs with the intent to distribute and possession of drugs within a school zone

Charged with promoting prostitution was Carl Seldon and Michelle Baker, both of Philadelphia; Rasuhru Lewis, of Jersey City; and Jurue Miller, of Plainfield, who was also charged with possession of drugs, possession of drugs with the intent to distribute and possession of drugs within a school zone.

Authorities did not release photos of the individuals charged.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Take this week's NJ.com News Quiz

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These seven questions will prove if you truly know New Jersey news.

You've spent all week reading all manner of local news stories. Are you ready to put that knowledge to good use? Take the quiz below based on some of this week's most popular local news stories. Once you're done, share your score in comments to see how you stack up with other NJ.com users.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and find NJ.com on Facebook.

 
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With these helpers, homework doesn't have to be a struggle

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In this twist on Homework Helpers, high school students provide free help to elementary school students in western Monmouth County.

MANALAPAN -- It's been a long time since Sarah Harris Kreisler had to do fourth-grade-level homework.

So when the Marlboro mom has to help her son Max with his homework, it's not always a simple task. And there's always the potential for a screaming match between the two.

But now that they've found Homework Helpers, a network of high school students volunteering their smarts to help elementary-grade students, those struggles have lifted, Kreisler said.

"I love it. I think it's one of the best services in town," said Kreisler, whose son, a fourth grader at Frank J. Dugan Elementary School in Marlboro, started his second year with Homework Helpers. "The teens helping my son with his homework seem genuinely happy and invested in the kids."

Freehold Regional High School District to improve technology, revamp curriculum

Homework Helpers isn't a new concept. There are a number of branches of that group, which generally uses the services of teachers and charges a fee. But brothers Bryce and Brad Escobar brought a new twist to it by soliciting the volunteer helpers from among high school students and offering their services for free.

The volunteers - often high school students interested in becoming teachers - get valuable teaching experience and their pupils get one-on-one attention in a stress-free environment from a peer who isn't far removed from the subjects, Brad Escobar said.

"Parents are grateful for a free service that will help their child with subjects they have long ago forgotten," he said. "They encourage their student as he does the work. They show the students shortcuts and strategies they've learned, and some can relate to the style of a shared teacher."

Escobar, a senior at Freehold Township High School, said that when he and his brother first started the service, it was offered to K-8 students in his hometown of Manalapan. But as interest in the program spread, they're now getting youngsters from surrounding towns of Manalapan, Marlboro and Freehold Borough as well as Freehold Township. To accommodate the demand, Escobar recruits volunteers from the six schools of the Freehold Regional High School District as well as from two local Catholic high schools and five Monmouth County vocational high schools.

That gives him a pool of between 40 and 50 helpers from which he can draw for the bi-weekly after school sessions which draw about 95 students this year. The helpers are in the Manalapan branch of the Monmouth County library every Monday and Thursday between 4:30 and 5:45 p.m.

Parents don't need to make appointments ahead of time but they can contact Escobar at hwkhelpers@aol.com. Students can get help with everything from learning how to form the letters of the alphabet to preparing for tests in algebra or geometry.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

30 Best Meals 2015: Yumi in Sea Bright

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Chef Shuenn Yang is always inspired by frequent travel to Asia.

On Day 20, among our best choices in Asian cuisine, we offer ...

YUMI

It's not on the menu -- partly because half the customers are still leery of octopus -- but a select group of guests (and now, you) are privy to a special dish prepared by chef Shuenn Yang.

yumiB.jpgChef Shuenn Yang, near the dining room of Yumi  

It's octopus carpaccio, a seductive combination of Asian and Mediterranean flavors. Introduced here and there to guests who trust the chef, regulars who urge, "Make me something."

PLUS: More of 30 Best Meals in N.J. 2015

The octopus is not served raw (as it would be in Japan), but here is slightly poached before it ends up in very thin slices on the plate. It's paired with roasted garlic oil and fried cilantro.

"It's like a Japanese woman married to an Italian guy," says Yang, who sometimes gets five orders a day, sometimes from the same table.


MONDAY: The 10 best Italian restaurants, starting with Chef Vola's in Atlantic City
yumiC.jpgHirame maki, spicy tuna wrapped in thinly sliced fluke with sesame-onion sauce, is one of the cold small plates served at Yumi.

Yumi remains a singular favorite for pan-Asian cuisine, thanks in part to an absolutely transcendent black cod, an intense, soulful ramen soup and an equally complex banh mi.

Chef Yang is always inspired by frequent travel to Asia.

Expect his 2016 menu to reflect a few Taiwanese influences.

Yumi | 1120 Ocean Ave., Sea Bright | (732) 212-0881 | yumirestaurant.com


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Whooping cough cases reported in 2 schools

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Letters sent to parents said a student at Allentown High School and his brother at Millstone Middle School both have it

MILLSTONE -- School officials are warning parents that a pair of siblings in two Monmouth County schools contracted whooping cough.

Whooping coughA child getting vaccinated for whooping cough. 

Letters were sent to parents in the Upper Freehold Regional School District on Friday saying a student at Allentown High School and his brother at Millstone Middle School both have it.

Meanwhile, Millstone Township Schools Superintendent Scott Feder wrote in a letter that the county's board of health is reporting two probable and one suspect case of whooping cough within the K-8 district. Millstone sends its high schoolers to Allentown.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease often characterized by the signature "whoop."

"Pertussis is a vaccine preventable disease," both letters read. "Getting vaccinated against pertussis will protect people from getting the disease."

Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.

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