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Booker: 'Leading Newark Is the Greatest Challenge of My Life'

Cory Booker says community collaboration is the secret to Newark's progress, in this series sponsored by Grape-Nuts.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. As the mayor of Newark, New Jersey’s largest city, Cory Booker says he understands the importance of leadership. But he especially acknowledges the importance of inspiring and engaging local leaders to assist in achieving community goals. Q. PATCH: What is the biggest challenge you’ve taken on?   A. BOOKER: Leading Newark is the greatest challenge of my life, but it’s not a policy challenge.  I’m proud we’ve notched victories — fought to improve education, create jobs and cut crime. But the challenge has been the…

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Report: Auto Insurance Premium Costs Soar in Newark

Brick City residents pay more than 30 percent more than state average to insure their cars, averaging $2,780 a year.

Garden State residents continue to lead the nation in the cost of auto insurance – and that number may be climbing, according to a recently published report. But in a twist for Essex County residents, especially those in Newark, residents there pay 30.4 percent above the statewide average in premiums, according to a posting on onlineautoinsurance.com that was published Tuesday on NorthJersey.com said. That means the average quote for Newark is $2,780 while the statewide average comes in around $2,130, the report said. Insurance brokers say crime rates, population density figures and racial breakdown figures account for the lower insurance rates. Conversely, residents in the Caldwells and West Essex pay $1,550 (27.3 percent below the state …

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Police Arrest Suspect After Early Saturday Shooting

A 19-year-old man suffered a non-life threatening gun shot wound early Saturday on the 200 block of South 7th Street, police said.

A Newark man was arrested Saturday in connection with an early morning shooting that left a 19-year-old with non-life threatening injuries, according to authorities.  Detectives from the Major Crimes Section apprehended James Little, 20, of Newark, Saturday, hours after the shooting. The investigation led authorities to identify Little as the alleged suspect in the shooting of a 19-year-old man at about 1:50 a.m. Saturday on the 200 block of South 7th Street. The 19-year-old suffered a non-life threatening gun shot wound, authorities said.   Detectives recovered a loaded Colt .38 Special Revolver at the scene of the incident.    Little was arrested and taken into custody without incident. He has been charged with aggravated assault and …

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Booker Releases Emails On $100 Million Donation to Newark Schools

Newark officials released 36 emails about the $100 million donation Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made in 2010 to city schools.

After Newark officials were order to release emails about the $100-million donation Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made to the city’s schools in 2010, they showed it never happened. The emails revealed the donation was dismissed by one of Mayor Cory Booker's top aides as too small, according to NJ.com. However the emails also showed Newark philanthropist Ray Chambers was in favor of it. “It is unfortunate that it took a lawsuit and ruling from the judge to force the City of Newark to turn over public documents," the American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director, Ed Barocas, said. "We and our clients will now review the documents. And if there are no bombshells in these emails, the public has a right to ask why the city was so adamant in …

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Newark Woman Convicted of Assault with Box-Cutter

Brutal 2010 attack caused over a man, authorities said

A 35-year-old Newark woman has been convicted of brutally assaulting another woman with a box-cutter in a dispute over a man, authorities said. Mellissa Wilson is accused of attacking the other woman in front of her six-year-old child on June 5, 2010, causing deep lacerations to the woman's face and back. "This was a horrific case of a woman, who needed a place to stay temporarily with her young son, being ambushed by another woman in a fight over a man," said Assistant Prosecutor  Marlyen Habib. Wilson is related to the wife of the man who invited the victim to stay in a separate apartment in the multi-family home, authorities said. The wife apparently wanted the victim out. The state's theory of the case is that the wife enlisted Wilson …

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Newark Makes Space for Elbow Room

New restaurant specializes in the ultimate comfort food – macaroni and cheese – with a twist

Halsey Street in Newark has made way for Elbow Room, a restaurant that got its start in comfort food concoctions right across the Hudson River. The casual corner joint, near Bleeker Street, recreates down-home macaroni and cheese using kicked-up flavors, like fiery buffalo chicken macaroni with Black River blue cheese and Frank's hot sauce, and heart-stopping poutine mac with short rib gravy, Yukon french fries and fresh cheese curds. Restaurateur Joel Bolden celebrated Tuesday the grand opening of Elbow Room's second location in Newark, after opening the first at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. "I wanted to be at the forefront of the Newark food renaissance," said Bolden of opening a location in Brick City. "I love the history of the…

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Lia Eustachewich

8:34 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thanks for the feedback. We don't "promote" restaurants, we write about them when it's newsworthy, like yesterday's grand opening. I'd be happy to consider writing about other restaurants in Newark if you had some in mind, Diane.   more ›

Ferry Street Store Sells $1M Lottery Ticket

Ferry 99 sells one of two $1 million Powerball tickets

Someone is $1 million richer after purchasing a winning Powerball lottery ticket from a Newark store. The winning ticket, which has not yet been claimed, was purchased from Ferry 99, a shop in the city's East Ward, lottery officials announced Monday. There was no jackpot winner of the Powerball game, which held its drawing on Saturday, but another $1 million winning Powerball ticket was sold in Cape May County. Four other $10,000 tickets were sold in New Jersey. The winning numbers for the Saturday drawing were: 22, 32, 37, 44 and 50. The red powerball number was 34. The two $1 million winners matched all five numbers to collect the second-place prize. "I go with my sisters to Florida each year so I guess I’ll be treating them this year," …

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Natural Gas Eyed in Fabyan Pl. Fire

Fire breaks out Wednesday night inside vacant home in Newark's South Ward

Natural gas played what officials called a significant role in a two-alarm fire Wednesday evening inside a vacant home in Newark. Firefighters arrived to a heavy fire at 12-14 Fabyan Pl., an empty two-story home in the city's South Ward, around 6:43 p.m., according to Capt. John Brown, spokesperson for the Newark Fire Department. The fire spread to the adjacent 16 Fabyan Pl., an occupied home, causing heavy damage to the roof. Brown said a total of 55 firefighters battled the blaze, which was extinguished an hour later. The cause is under investigation but natural gas played a significant role in the fire, said Brown. Four adults and one child were displaced and assisted Wednesday evening by the American Red Cross. Brown said 12-14 Fabyan …

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Week In Review: Prosecutor's Office's New Chief, FEMA Center Opens, Veterans Ceremony

A look at the top stories on Newark Patch this past week.

Quovella M. Spruill -- or “Q,” as she’s known around the Leroy Smith Public Safety Building in Newark -- on Friday officially became the first African-American woman to be named deputy chief of the county law enforcement agency, where she will help oversee a staff of 120 investigators and other personnel. 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. Gov. Chris Christie made his rounds Friday morning lauding the historic Newark teachers contract as a win for the city's teachers, principals and students. Hurricane Sandy dealt a heavy blow to the Passaic Valley Sewerage …

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