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1
Atlantic City honors World War II veteran with memorial on 80th anniversary of D-Day
- John O'Connor
ATLANTIC CITY — TJ Patton was just 17 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and stormed Omaha Beach during World War II. So when the resort reached out and asked him to take part in a statue unveiling for another fellow D-Day veteran, he knew he had to be there.
“Somebody got in touch with one of my daughters and they found out I was a veteran,” said Patton, 97. “It’s a very interesting monument, and I hope when people see it, they’ll think about all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Thousands, including veterans and their families, public officials and members of the public, spent the 80th anniversary of D-Day at O’Donnell Memorial Park on Thursday to get a first look at the statue honoring local war medic Bernie Friedenberg.
“I cannot believe so many people came to honor my father and all World War II veterans,” said Susan Friedenberg, Bernie’s daughter. “This monument is for all Atlantic City residents and visitors to come and see what World War II veterans did.”
A flyover by the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard kicked off the festivities before the Military Funeral Honor Guard fired off two cannons to honor fallen soldiers and presented an American flag to Susan Friedenberg. The unveiling and remarks from speakers followed to conclude the ceremony.
The bronze statue, designed by Pennsylvania-based Fisher Sculpture, weighs 3,500 pounds and depicts Friedenberg holding a wounded soldier in his arms on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in 1944.
Surrounding the Freedom Circle, where the statue was installed, are more than 28 granite inlays of each major battle during the war. Committee members have said plans for the memorial include adding kiosks to hopefully bring in local schools and Stockton University.
Marco Polo Smigliani, chair of the Friends of Bernie Friedenberg Committee, said the project took five years and cost $1 million. The organization used radio and word of mouth to raise money, and when they needed additional funds to complete the project, Mayor Marty Small Sr. provided more than $400,000 from the American Rescue Plan and an extra $50,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friedenberg grew up in Atlantic City and was a freshman at Temple University in Philadelphia when Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941. The following day, Friedenberg decided to enlist in the military but was rejected by the Marines, Navy and Army due to poor vision.
However, Friedenberg remained committed to serving his country, and his persistence paid off when the Army brought him in as a medic.
“Jews all over the country knew what was happening in Europe, and my father wanted to fight,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He drove the recruiters crazy.”
Friedenberg served in many of the war’s major battles, including Operation Torch in Algeria in 1942, the Fighting First campaign in Sicily in 1943, D-Day in 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge later that same year.
His job was to get wounded soldiers away from the front lines and render medical care. Smigliani said on D-Day, Friedenberg ran through a minefield and managed to bring five wounded soldiers to safety before an explosion.
His heroism extended outside of rescuing American soldiers as Susan Friedenberg said her father saved the life of a German solider who was wounded in an explosion instead of killing him.
“Dad heard an explosion and a solider screaming out in pain,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He ran into the building that was bombed to render first aid to whom he believed was an American soldier. But on the ground was a German solider about Daddy’s age; he was crying out in pain, and my father could’ve shot him. Daddy felt maybe the solider didn’t know what was going on in Germany and was drafted. My father knelt down, gave the solider morphine, tended to his wounds, looked into his eyes and said in Yiddish, ‘Never forget, a Jew saved your life.’”
Friedenberg received several honors for his service, including two Silver Stars for his actions on D-Day and in Germany, two Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat.
“He was shot four times and tended to his own wounds,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He did this because, as he said, ‘I had men to patch up.’”
After returning home to Atlantic City, Friedenberg wrote a book about his experiences, served as a member of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board and commander of a Jewish War Veterans post. He also regularly spoke at schools until his death.
Susan Friedenberg said her father struggled with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder when he first came home, but writing the book is what helped get him through it.
“My father came home from the war emotionally damaged,” she said. “He hid the horrors of war and never talked about it, like many soldiers who come home.”
U.S. Army retired Major Gen. John Hussey was the keynote speaker for the event. He echoed the importance of honoring veterans so future generations won’t forget the impact of those who went before them.
“We remember so we don’t forget,” Hussey said. “Calvin Coolidge once said, ‘A nation that forgets its veterans is a nation that will soon be forgotten itself.’ I looked up stats, and about 60% of our country can’t pass the citizen’s test. That’s why we need to remember, so when you’re sitting here on Sept. 9 with ice cream, your job is to tell children about Bernie and World War II.”
2
Ex-NJ attorney general testifies Sen. Bob Menendez confronted him twice over a pending criminal case
- LARRY NEUMEISTERAssociated Press
NEW YORK — A former New Jersey attorney general testified Thursday at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial that the Democrat twice tried to discuss a pending criminal case with him, requests he considered “pretty unprecedented.”
Gurbir Grewal was called as a witness by prosecutors to support their claim that Menendez tried to interfere in a criminal case at the request of one of three New Jersey businessmen who were allegedly paying him bribes including gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars and a luxury car.
Menendez, 70, is on trial in Manhattan federal court with two of the businessmen. The three have pleaded not guilty. The third businessman has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify.
Grewal, now head of enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission, recalled Menendez first reaching out to him in early 2019, shortly after he'd taken the job as New Jersey's top law enforcement officer.
He testified that a cousin who was close friends with Menendez asked if she could pass along Grewal's personal cellphone number to Menendez and he agreed.
Menendez called late one afternoon, interrupting a meeting, but Grewal said he stepped outside the office to take the call.
After some small talk, Menendez expressed a concern that some state investigators were treating Hispanics in the trucking industry different than workers who were not Hispanic, Grewal said.
Grewal said he asked Menendez if the concern arose from a criminal matter and when he was told that it did, he followed his policy and directed Menendez to have a defense lawyer contact the prosecutors or the judge about any relevant matter.
He said the 5- to 6-minute phone call ended shortly thereafter without the senator saying any more about it.
Grewal said he did not mention it to any prosecutors in his office because he didn't want anyone working the case to feel pressure or intimidated.
He said he wanted them to make any decisions about their cases “free from anything from the outside.”
The following September, Grewal testified, Menendez requested a meeting in his Newark, New Jersey, office and Grewal went, bringing along another top official, his deputy attorney general.
Grewal said he thought the senator wanted to talk about the policies of his office, but Menendez instead again brought up his complaint about the treatment of Hispanics after seeming surprised that he brought someone with him, which Grewal said he commonly did when meeting with lawmakers.
Grewal said he asked if his complaint again pertained to the criminal case he'd referenced in the phone call earlier in the year and Menendez said that it did. Grewal said he repeated his earlier instruction to have the defense lawyers deal with any issues with the judge or prosecutors handling the case.
“The impression I got was that he did not like how the matter was being handled, but he didn’t say how it should be handled,” Grewal testified.
Grewal said the conversation ended soon after he told Menendez: “I cannot talk to you about this.”
After leaving the meeting, he and the deputy attorney general who accompanied him were standing by the car that would carry them away when his colleague said: “Whoa, that was gross,” Grewal recalled.
On cross-examination, Menendez defense attorney Avi Weitzman elicited from Grewal that the senator was “extremely polite and respectful in all of our interactions.”
When Weitzman asked him if Menendez asked him to look into the matter or threatened to “haul you before Congress,” Grewal chuckled and said no such conversation occurred.
“I wasn't afraid of retribution,” Grewal said, adding that Menendez “just moved on” with small talk when the attorney general shut down the inquiry. “He did not pressure me.”
Still, Grewal said a lawmaker reaching out about a particular ongoing criminal case was “pretty unprecedented in my experience.”
Weitzman elicited from Grewal that a state legislator and the governor's chief of staff had sought to speak about a case while he was attorney general.
As Menendez left the courthouse Thursday, he told a reporter in Spanish: “Advocating for human rights is not a crime.”
3
Former first daughter Bush Hager talks balancing work, motherhood at Atlantic City Women's Forum
- Selena Vazquez
ATLANTIC CITY—Ever since Linwood resident Olivia D'Alessandro, 19, was a child, she grew up listening to her mom, Christine, aunt, Julianne Weaver, 51, grandmother, Barbara Weaver, 75, and other female family members rave about the Women's Forum hosted in the city.
Her family members said they enjoyed meeting new people and listening to their stories while supporting local organizations.
So D'Alessandro was excited to share philosophies and philanthropy Thursday with 550 attendees at the 29th annual Women's Forum at Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
"I didn't really know what to expect. My mom, my aunt and my other family members have talked about this event for years, so I'm excited to be here, have fun and listen to an expert," D'Alessandro said.
The Women's Forum consists of a luncheon and silent auction with dozens of prizes such as spa giveaways, dinners for four, jewelry and handbags. Since 1994, the forum has raised more than $2.3 million for Greater Atlantic City Charities. The nonprofit event organized by 14 volunteer committee members gives 100% of its proceeds to local charities,said Brett Matik, one of the two co-chairs who organized the event.
This year's event focused on raising funds for Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Atlantic, Cape May and Camden Counties, the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, and the Atlantic City Day Nursery.
"It's a great afternoon, but I think it can either be a good networking event or just a nice day to be uplifted and listen to someone, learn something and spend time with other women," said Matik. "Some people come with their friends, some people come alone, but they sit with other people and it's pretty cool because then you get to learn about people in our community and what they do."
The highlight of the forum each year is a celebrity keynote speaker. Past speakers have included actress Brooke Shields, late comedian Joan Rivers, cosmetics company founder Bobbi Brown and baker Debbie Fields.
This year, Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, flew into the city via helicopter to be this year's keynote speaker.
Bush Hager is a co-host of NBC's "Today with Hoda & Jenna" and an author of "Everything Beautiful in Its Time," which tells the story of her grandparents, former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, and the wisdom that shaped who she is. She also wrote "Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope" and "Sisters First" with her twin, Barbara Pierce Bush, as well as "Our Great Big Backyard" and "Read All About It" with her mother, former first lady Laura Bush.
She talked about her experience being a former president's daughter, living a "normal"-ish life despite being a part of the first family, and being a wife and mother of three.
"Now, you would think the daughter of two presidents would have had a really tricky childhood, and I didn't. I had a father that before he went into politics was into baseball, so he could be home at five o'clock every day. He would run, and I would ride my bike next to him," said Bush Hager. "There was no cellphones. There wasn't really any computers when I was little, so there was nothing distracting my parents from parenting me. So we always felt their presence."
Her parents let them be self-expressive, make mistakes and experience their own personal growth, which she has tried to pass on to her own children.
Being present is another value Bush Hager carried into her adult life. Being fully engaged when she did have the time to spend with her loved ones, or even when she was at work, was how she enjoyed every moment of life, despite the juggling act, she said.
She said she manages life by having a supportive partner, letting go of "mom guilt" when she is unable to attend her children's events and being honest with herself about what she can handle.
She also answered audience questions about being a woman working in media, if she'd ever enter the realm of politics (the answer was no), if she's ever seen the movie "My Date with the President's Daughter" and whether she had a favorite letter that her grandfather wrote her.
"I think one of the things that I figured out early on in life, and being a mom, is that balance is not real," said Bush Hager. "I try to just enjoy where I am when I'm there. I don't regret anything. And being here with you all now, I'm enjoying this so much."
4
Cape May finishes new library; ribbon cutting to be held next week
- isaac.linsk
CAPE MAY— The rehabilitation of the historic Franklin Street School into Cape May County's newest library is complete, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. June 13.
Prior to the ceremony and dedication, a "Book Brigade" will be held at 1 p.m. at the location of the former library at 110 Ocean St., reenacting the same transfer of books that happened in 1982 when the Ocean Street library was dedicated.
Built in 1927 as a segregated elementary school, the building is a designated New Jersey African American Historic Site. It is located adjacent to the Harriet Tubman Museum.
The project finished four years after the Cape May County Library Commission submitted an application to the New Jersey State Library for funding to repurpose and rehabilitate the historic school. The commission was awarded nearly $3.5 million in November 2020 and was one of 38 approved grants in the state.
“As I have said before, this project is a perfect example of how to preserve the past while preparing for the future,” Mayor Zachary Mullock said Thursday in a news release. “We have been able to save an important historic building by repurposing it into a 21st century library that honors that history while meeting the educational, recreational, technological and other needs of the community.”
The project was supported by funds from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, theNational Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Historic Preservation Fund,the New Jersey Historic Trust and local contributions from the county and city of Cape May.
5
Lacey Township woman charged with employing child in drug manufacturing scheme
- John Russo
A Lacey Township woman was charged in a narcotics manufacturing scheme in which she allegedly employed one of her children in the making and distribution of drugs, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.
Margaret Whalen, 60, was charged with maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance facility, manufacturing psilocybin mushrooms, possession of psilocybin mushrooms with intent to distribute, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
In March, Lacey police were alerted by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency that Whalen was using her Elwood Street home to make and distribute psilocybin mushrooms, the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release.
On March 13, police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office searched the home. They seized several jars containing suspected psilocybin mushrooms, which were confirmed by a lab 10 days later, the Prosecutor's Office said.
The investigation revealed Whalen manufactured and distributed those mushrooms from her home while the legal guardian of three minor children who also lived there. The investigation also found Whalen employed one of the children in the manufacturing and distribution of those narcotics, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Whalen was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Ocean County jail.
6
Atlantic City man indicted in death of Galloway teenager
- Vincent Rapallo
An Atlantic City man who was allegedly responsible for the death of a Galloway Township teenager was indicted Tuesday on a charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident which resulted in death, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Everette Williams, 51, was charged in the Feb. 17 crash that killed a 17-year-old pedestrian identified by the Prosecutor's Office as J.J.
Williams, who was driving a Jeep Compass, struck J.J. on the White Horse Pike in Absecon at 9:23 p.m., the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release.
An investigation revealed Williams was operating the vehicle with a suspended driver's license and abandoned the vehicle after removing its vehicle identification number, the Prosecutor's Office said.
7
Casino union, Alexander campaign rally in Atlantic City to urge counting of 1,800 ballots opened early
- Michelle Brunetti Post
ATLANTIC CITY — Chanting “All votes matter!” and “Count our votes!” about 40 Unite Here Local 54 members and supporters of Democratic congressional candidate Tim Alexander rallied at the Atlantic County Civil Courts Building on Thursday afternoon.
“I think it was an honest mistake the Board of Elections made by opening some ballots early,” Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio said at the event. “But it’s not fair to voters or candidates to not count those votes.”
Atlantic County Superior Court Assignment Judge Michael Blee will hear testimony Friday morning from Atlantic County Board of Elections staff and representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties about how 1,800 vote-by-mail ballots were opened May 6, when under state law they were not to be opened until five days before the June 4 primary election.
Blee will make a decision after the hearing about whether they can be counted or there is too much evidence of tampering to count them.
Alexander, a civil rights attorney from Galloway Township, trails businessman Joe Salerno, of Lower Township, by about 397 votes in the primary race to run in November’s general election as the Democratic candidate.
Alexander won Atlantic County overall, so he is hopeful he will pick up enough mail-in votes to see victory.
“I’m still optimistic. We just ticked up this morning,” Alexander said of gaining a few more votes in later counted ballots.
The spread had been 401 votes Thursday morning and is now in the “high 300s,” Alexander said.
“I’m here for fairness,” Alexander said. “We want the votes counted.”
Salerno said in a phone interview Thursday he feels confident of a win and hopes the disputed Atlantic County votes do get counted.
The Atlantic County vote-by-mail ballots will likely favor Alexander, Salerno said, “but we should still be OK.”
“People who made their decisions the latest broke hard for us,” Salerno said of election day totals. He said he won every county’s election day totals except Atlantic, which he said he lost by one vote.
Counting early voting, vote-by-mail and election day machine voting, in addition to Atlantic, Alexander won Cumberland, Salem and Ocean counties, but lost narrowly in Gloucester County and lost heavily in Cape May County, Alexander said.
“I underperformed in Cape May County,” he said.
It wasn’t just a hometown advantage for Salerno and their other main opponent, engineer Carolyn Rush of Sea Isle City, he said.
“Had we put more work in Cape May County I don’t think we’d be here (behind) now,” Alexander said. “I own that.”
Rush said Thursday she needs more information to say whether the disputed 1,800 mail-in ballots should be counted.
“My strongest feeling is I want to understand how this happened,” Rush said in a phone interview. “Was it just the 1,800, or could there possibly be more?”
She said the board staff is known to be experienced, so it makes no sense that they would make a mistake like this.
“I don’t like the smell of it,” Rush said.
In addition to Local 54 members, rally participants included Democrats from around the region.
“I’m here to support Tim and to say every vote should be counted,” said Maureen Leidy, of Egg Harbor Township, after participating in chants in front of the courthouse. Leidy is president of the South Jersey Democratic Women's Forum.
“You cannot be telling people to ‘Vote, vote, vote’ and then take their voice from them,” said Evelyn Cannon-Dingle, of Vineland. “You can’t say, ‘Your vote doesn’t count’ because somebody made a mistake.”
The decision is in the judge’s hands because the four-person Board of Elections, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked on a vote.
Retired lawyer Arlene Groch participated in the rally and said she has no concerns about the group being perceived as pressuring a judge.
“I know the court will be independent,” Groch said. “I believe the court will be fair. It doesn’t hurt to remind the judge we all really care about our votes being counted.”
8
Mays Landing woman indicted in death of Stockton University student
- John Russo
A Mays Landing woman allegedly responsible for the death of a Stockton University student was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated manslaughter, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Alexia Glass, 25, is charged in the crash that occurred shortly after midnight March 28 that killed 22-year-old Yolanda Pacheco, of Mount Holly, Burlington County.
At 12:26 a.m., Glass, who was driving a Toyota Corolla, struck the car being operated by Pacheco while driving on the Black Horse Pike in Hamilton Township.
The impact caused Pacheco's vehicle to flip and strike three parked cars, police said in March.
Pacheco was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in her vehicle and Glass were taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries.
An investigation revealed that Glass was intoxicated, the Prosecutor's Office said. Police also determined Glass was driving at excessive speeds when she struck Pacheco.
Pacheco was a psychology student at Stockton. She would have graduated last month.
A GoFundMe raised more than $20,000 to help with funeral costs.
9
Cape Express Beach Blast soccer tournament returns to Wildwood this month
- Vincent Rapallo
WILDWOOD— Beach Blast soccer returns to the beaches this month.
Teams will compete five-on-five barefoot on the sand June 29 and June 30. Games will be played from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, with U8 to U19 divisions for boys and girls, men, women and co-eds.
The tournament, hosted by the Cape Express Soccer Club, brings in more than 1,000 youth and adult teams across the East Coast. There will be more than 100 fields across the beach to accommodate the large turnout, spanning from Baker Avenue to Poplar Avenue.
Registration for youth teams is $995, which includes 10 Morey's Pier amusem*nt passes that can be used at all three amusem*nt piers and both waterparks. Adult team registration is $550 and doesn't include amusem*nt passes.
The beach tournament is free to spectators.
A second tournament, MORE Beach Blast, will take place July 20 and 21.
For more information, visit capeexpress.com.
10
Egg Harbor Township-based Spirit Halloween hiring 50,000 seasonal employees ahead of store openings
- Press staff reports
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Spirit Halloween, the seasonal costume and party store based in the township, is preparing to open its doors once again for the 2024 season.
The company's flagship store at 6725 Black Horse Pike will have its grand opening Aug. 1.
Spirit, the largest Halloween retailer in North America, is looking for 50,000 seasonal sales associates and store managers to work at its 1,500 locations.
"The excitement and enthusiasm of Halloween continues to grow, and as we gear up for another season, we are looking forward to welcoming new associates and store managers to our team," said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween, in a news release. "Opening over 1,500 retail locations is no small feat, and much of the magic we create for fans each year is thanks to the passion and dedication of our associates who bring the Spirit Halloween experience to life."
Spirit is offering its employees flexible scheduling and a pay incentive program with returning store managers eligible for a seasonal retention bonus. All employees receive a 30% discount on store purchases, the company said.
Prospective employees can find more information at work4spirit.com or by texting “Reaper” to 85000 to apply. For more information, visit spirithalloween.com or @spirithalloween on social media.
11
Shirley MacLaine, 90, is filming a new movie in Atlantic City's iconic Ducktown neighborhood
- Amy S. RosenbergThe Philadelphia Inquirer
ATLANTIC CITY — In her signature oversize sunglasses, the 90-year-old movie star Shirley MacLaine sat in an alleyway in Ducktown, Atlantic City's most famous neighborhood. Eccentric and durable, she fit right in.
On Arctic Avenue on Monday evening, between Georgia and Mississippi avenues, home of the White House Sub Shop, Hollywood was giving the place the close-up it always feels it deserves: filming a new Brad Furman movie called "People Not Places" with MacLaine as its star.
MacLaine plays "a sprightly woman in her twilight years who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a local homeless man, while struggling to mend a troubled relationship with her son," according to the film's official description.
But first, as annoyed detoured traffic snaked around the congested inner part of town, the crew had to make it rain with hoses. Naturally, just as it came time to roll the cameras, the sun came out. They'll fix it in the post-edit.
Atlantic City has been the backdrop for a handful of movies, most famously Louis Malle's "Atlantic City" (where a lemon-freshened Susan Sarandon and Burt Lancaster famously had lunch in what's now the bar at the Knife & Fork Inn), and most recently for the Netflix feature film "Army of the Dead," in which zombies were filmed inside what's basically a zombie casino floor: the closed Atlantic Club casino.
MacLaine was helped across the street into the Formica-Freitag Bakery, formerly Formica, creators of Atlantic City's famous bread, to await the shot. Icon, meet iconic.
Her costar, Stephen Dorff, dressed as a person who is unhoused, wandered around the street looking like he was practicing his lines, daring to peer over the police barricades.
The director, Furman, grew up in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. His mother, Ellen Brown Furman, wrote the script. The family would vacation at a beach house in Ventnor.
At the White House Sub Shop, the staff grumbled over the loss of business. The shoot helped "not at all," they said, as the block of Arctic between Georgia and Mississippi was closed off all day. One staff member grudgingly gave a plastic knife to the crew member who wanted to cut his sub.
Neighbors peeked out of their homes, impressed by the stardom, but lamenting their cars being trapped on the block, narrating into cellphones every small thing that happened. ("She's getting into a car." "They're making it rain.")
The women inside Pancho's, another iconic food shop on this block of Arctic Avenue, peered out of their shop.
The owner of Setaara, the nearby Afghan-French place closed on Mondays, watched from a nearby alleyway. A man passed by the crew with a slice of cake from Las Delicias De La Negra Mexican, the new restaurant on the block.
Mostly, though, it was crew members on folding chairs waiting for, well, it was hard to say. There was a lot of waiting.
The street was wet, but the car wasn't. More hoses! MacLaine wanted the car parked closer to the curb. Dorff needed last-minute hair spray to make his hair look more greasy. He practiced what looked like some sort of scuffle with another cast member near the car out of which MacLaine would emerge when the brief moments of actual filming began.
Was this the moment MacLaine actually meets Dorff, as she exits the car in front of Formica's and he's scuffling with someone? Some other bit of plot deeper into the movie? Why is she going to Formica's in the rain, in a car? Could she need an Atlantic City roll that badly? Tomato pie? From a distance, you could hear MacLaine's briskly delivered lines cut through the evening air, and things suddenly got tight, focused, dramatic. She's a star.
On Arctic Avenue, the sun shone through the fake rain.
12
Ex-Margate firefighter sentenced in $50 million prescription fraud scheme
- John O'Connor
A former Margate firefighter who admitted his role in a $50 million prescription fraud scheme will spend a year in federal prison, according to court records.
Michael Sher, of Northfield, pleaded guilty in March 2018 to conspiring to defraud a health care benefit program, and was sentenced May 16 in front of U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.
Sher also issubject to three years of supervised release and must pay $7 million in restitution, records show.
Sher and his two brothers, John and Tom Sher, were brought into a scheme started by William Hickman, a local pharmaceutical salesman, for the purpose of using government employees to have compound medications, including vitamins and libido creams, earn them money, according to the complaint document.
The federal government said the scheme cost New Jersey health care benefits programs and other insurers more than $50 million.
Michael Sher received more than $1.7 million for submitting fraudulent claims for compound medications, records indicate.
John Sher was sentenced to three years in prison last April after pleading guilty, while Tom Sher received eight years in prison for his role. All three brothers were Margate firefighters.
13
Critics slam Gov. Murphy for signing public records bill
- Sophie Nieto-Munoznewjerseymonitor.com
Elected officials from both sides of the aisle and progressive activists fumed Wednesday after Gov. Phil Murphy announced he signed the controversial bill overhauling the state’s Open Public Records Act into law.
Media organizations, good government groups, and transparency advocates have spent weeks urging Murphy to veto the bill, saying it would gut the law that governs what government documents are allowed to be released to the public.
Former state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a Bergen County Democrat who defended the old version of the Open Public Records Act, calledMurphy’s move “terribly disconcerting.”
“It seems they did it just because they could!” Weinberg said on social media.
Nicole Rodriguez, president of progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, calledthe new law “bad policy, bad politics, and bad news for anyone who believes that government should work for the people and not for special interests.”
“Public records are how we shine a spotlight on corruption and hold officials accountable when they’re not doing what’s best for their communities. New Jersey just took a big step forward with our first primary election without ‘the line’ on the ballot, and now the state is taking two even bigger steps backward. This is a dark day for transparency, accountability, and democracy in New Jersey,” Rodriguez said.
The law places limits on when public entities are forced to pay the legal fees of people who win public records disputes in court, shields certain types of documents from public view, and allows judges to ban some people from making any requests at all.
Murphy in a statement said that while he believes some of the criticism of the bill is not irrational, overall the legislation makes “relatively modest” changes to the Open Public Records Act. Those thoughts were echoed by one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris), who noted that the bill would require the Government Records Council — the state agency that adjudicates records disputes — to make decisions quicker.
“Government transparency is the bedrock of our democratic society, and this bill underscores that fundamental principle. This law will save taxpayers money and time by increasing public access to government documents online, speeding up the process to resolve cases with the GRC, and reduces the need for OPRA requests,” said Bucco, who was not present in the Senate when that body passed the bill last month.
The bill’s critics remain unconvinced. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, criticized Murphy for waiting until after Tuesday’s primary election to sign the bill.
“The deliberate/manipulative nature of it speaks to the fact he knows it’s wrong. It’s extremelydisrespectful to voters that want an honest dialog, and he is basicallytelling voters again and again you are fools,” Fulop said.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, another Democrat seeking to succeed Murphy, also opposes the bill.
“I’m disappointed. Today is a step backwards in New Jersey’s pursuit of democracy,” Baraka said.
Jesse Burns, the executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, said lawmakers who supported the bill “have turned their backs on one of our essential rights.”
“This long struggle to defend democracy has proven we must restore power to the people of this state so they cannot continue to be blatantly ignored by those that are meant to serve them,” Burns said.
This story first appeared on the New Jersey Monitor.
14
Vineland man sentenced in 2015 shooting deaths
- John O'Connor
A Vineland man likely will spend the next four decades in prison after being sentenced Monday in the deaths of two people in 2015, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said.
Sheldon M. Goldsborough Sr., 44, received 45 years for aggravated manslaughter, 20 years for conspiracy to commit murder, 10 years for reckless manslaughter and 10 years for aggravated assault in the shooting deaths of Damien Mills and Kevin Peterson.
All counts will run concurrent with each other, and the sentence is consecutive to a sentence Goldsborough is currently serving on an unrelated matter, the Prosecutor's Office saidThursday in a news release.
Police responded to the 100 block of West Grape Street at 12:19 a.m. March 8, 2015, for a report of shots fired. Officers found Mills dead at the scene. Peterson, who suffered four gunshot wounds, died laterat a local hospital. A female victim, who survived, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
Investigators found a flip-phone near shell casings and the victim's vehicle. The phone was swabbed for DNA and returned as a match to Michael R. Loftin Jr., 29, of Cincinnati, who was charged June 2, 2015, for his involvement.
Another number that called Loftin's phone was connected to Goldsborough, and the investigation revealed the two were together at the time of the killings as Goldsborough's phone was pinging to a nearby tower.
Goldsborough was acquitted on the original murder counts, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Loftin was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison in October.
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Atlantic City honors World War II veteran with memorial on 80th anniversary of D-Day
- John O'Connor
ATLANTIC CITY — TJ Patton was just 17 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and stormed Omaha Beach during World War II. So when the resort reached out and asked him to take part in a statue unveiling for another fellow D-Day veteran, he knew he had to be there.
“Somebody got in touch with one of my daughters and they found out I was a veteran,” said Patton, 97. “It’s a very interesting monument, and I hope when people see it, they’ll think about all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Thousands, including veterans and their families, public officials and members of the public, spent the 80th anniversary of D-Day at O’Donnell Memorial Park on Thursday to get a first look at the statue honoring local war medic Bernie Friedenberg.
“I cannot believe so many people came to honor my father and all World War II veterans,” said Susan Friedenberg, Bernie’s daughter. “This monument is for all Atlantic City residents and visitors to come and see what World War II veterans did.”
A flyover by the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard kicked off the festivities before the Military Funeral Honor Guard fired off two cannons to honor fallen soldiers and presented an American flag to Susan Friedenberg. The unveiling and remarks from speakers followed to conclude the ceremony.
The bronze statue, designed by Pennsylvania-based Fisher Sculpture, weighs 3,500 pounds and depicts Friedenberg holding a wounded soldier in his arms on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in 1944.
Surrounding the Freedom Circle, where the statue was installed, are more than 28 granite inlays of each major battle during the war. Committee members have said plans for the memorial include adding kiosks to hopefully bring in local schools and Stockton University.
Marco Polo Smigliani, chair of the Friends of Bernie Friedenberg Committee, said the project took five years and cost $1 million. The organization used radio and word of mouth to raise money, and when they needed additional funds to complete the project, Mayor Marty Small Sr. provided more than $400,000 from the American Rescue Plan and an extra $50,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friedenberg grew up in Atlantic City and was a freshman at Temple University in Philadelphia when Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941. The following day, Friedenberg decided to enlist in the military but was rejected by the Marines, Navy and Army due to poor vision.
However, Friedenberg remained committed to serving his country, and his persistence paid off when the Army brought him in as a medic.
“Jews all over the country knew what was happening in Europe, and my father wanted to fight,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He drove the recruiters crazy.”
Friedenberg served in many of the war’s major battles, including Operation Torch in Algeria in 1942, the Fighting First campaign in Sicily in 1943, D-Day in 1944 and the Battle of the Bulge later that same year.
His job was to get wounded soldiers away from the front lines and render medical care. Smigliani said on D-Day, Friedenberg ran through a minefield and managed to bring five wounded soldiers to safety before an explosion.
His heroism extended outside of rescuing American soldiers as Susan Friedenberg said her father saved the life of a German solider who was wounded in an explosion instead of killing him.
“Dad heard an explosion and a solider screaming out in pain,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He ran into the building that was bombed to render first aid to whom he believed was an American soldier. But on the ground was a German solider about Daddy’s age; he was crying out in pain, and my father could’ve shot him. Daddy felt maybe the solider didn’t know what was going on in Germany and was drafted. My father knelt down, gave the solider morphine, tended to his wounds, looked into his eyes and said in Yiddish, ‘Never forget, a Jew saved your life.’”
Friedenberg received several honors for his service, including two Silver Stars for his actions on D-Day and in Germany, two Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat.
“He was shot four times and tended to his own wounds,” Susan Friedenberg said. “He did this because, as he said, ‘I had men to patch up.’”
After returning home to Atlantic City, Friedenberg wrote a book about his experiences, served as a member of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board and commander of a Jewish War Veterans post. He also regularly spoke at schools until his death.
Susan Friedenberg said her father struggled with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder when he first came home, but writing the book is what helped get him through it.
“My father came home from the war emotionally damaged,” she said. “He hid the horrors of war and never talked about it, like many soldiers who come home.”
U.S. Army retired Major Gen. John Hussey was the keynote speaker for the event. He echoed the importance of honoring veterans so future generations won’t forget the impact of those who went before them.
“We remember so we don’t forget,” Hussey said. “Calvin Coolidge once said, ‘A nation that forgets its veterans is a nation that will soon be forgotten itself.’ I looked up stats, and about 60% of our country can’t pass the citizen’s test. That’s why we need to remember, so when you’re sitting here on Sept. 9 with ice cream, your job is to tell children about Bernie and World War II.”
Ex-NJ attorney general testifies Sen. Bob Menendez confronted him twice over a pending criminal case
- LARRY NEUMEISTERAssociated Press
NEW YORK — A former New Jersey attorney general testified Thursday at Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial that the Democrat twice tried to discuss a pending criminal case with him, requests he considered “pretty unprecedented.”
Gurbir Grewal was called as a witness by prosecutors to support their claim that Menendez tried to interfere in a criminal case at the request of one of three New Jersey businessmen who were allegedly paying him bribes including gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars and a luxury car.
Menendez, 70, is on trial in Manhattan federal court with two of the businessmen. The three have pleaded not guilty. The third businessman has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify.
Grewal, now head of enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission, recalled Menendez first reaching out to him in early 2019, shortly after he'd taken the job as New Jersey's top law enforcement officer.
He testified that a cousin who was close friends with Menendez asked if she could pass along Grewal's personal cellphone number to Menendez and he agreed.
Menendez called late one afternoon, interrupting a meeting, but Grewal said he stepped outside the office to take the call.
After some small talk, Menendez expressed a concern that some state investigators were treating Hispanics in the trucking industry different than workers who were not Hispanic, Grewal said.
Grewal said he asked Menendez if the concern arose from a criminal matter and when he was told that it did, he followed his policy and directed Menendez to have a defense lawyer contact the prosecutors or the judge about any relevant matter.
He said the 5- to 6-minute phone call ended shortly thereafter without the senator saying any more about it.
Grewal said he did not mention it to any prosecutors in his office because he didn't want anyone working the case to feel pressure or intimidated.
He said he wanted them to make any decisions about their cases “free from anything from the outside.”
The following September, Grewal testified, Menendez requested a meeting in his Newark, New Jersey, office and Grewal went, bringing along another top official, his deputy attorney general.
Grewal said he thought the senator wanted to talk about the policies of his office, but Menendez instead again brought up his complaint about the treatment of Hispanics after seeming surprised that he brought someone with him, which Grewal said he commonly did when meeting with lawmakers.
Grewal said he asked if his complaint again pertained to the criminal case he'd referenced in the phone call earlier in the year and Menendez said that it did. Grewal said he repeated his earlier instruction to have the defense lawyers deal with any issues with the judge or prosecutors handling the case.
“The impression I got was that he did not like how the matter was being handled, but he didn’t say how it should be handled,” Grewal testified.
Grewal said the conversation ended soon after he told Menendez: “I cannot talk to you about this.”
After leaving the meeting, he and the deputy attorney general who accompanied him were standing by the car that would carry them away when his colleague said: “Whoa, that was gross,” Grewal recalled.
On cross-examination, Menendez defense attorney Avi Weitzman elicited from Grewal that the senator was “extremely polite and respectful in all of our interactions.”
When Weitzman asked him if Menendez asked him to look into the matter or threatened to “haul you before Congress,” Grewal chuckled and said no such conversation occurred.
“I wasn't afraid of retribution,” Grewal said, adding that Menendez “just moved on” with small talk when the attorney general shut down the inquiry. “He did not pressure me.”
Still, Grewal said a lawmaker reaching out about a particular ongoing criminal case was “pretty unprecedented in my experience.”
Weitzman elicited from Grewal that a state legislator and the governor's chief of staff had sought to speak about a case while he was attorney general.
As Menendez left the courthouse Thursday, he told a reporter in Spanish: “Advocating for human rights is not a crime.”
Former first daughter Bush Hager talks balancing work, motherhood at Atlantic City Women's Forum
- Selena Vazquez
ATLANTIC CITY—Ever since Linwood resident Olivia D'Alessandro, 19, was a child, she grew up listening to her mom, Christine, aunt, Julianne Weaver, 51, grandmother, Barbara Weaver, 75, and other female family members rave about the Women's Forum hosted in the city.
Her family members said they enjoyed meeting new people and listening to their stories while supporting local organizations.
So D'Alessandro was excited to share philosophies and philanthropy Thursday with 550 attendees at the 29th annual Women's Forum at Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
"I didn't really know what to expect. My mom, my aunt and my other family members have talked about this event for years, so I'm excited to be here, have fun and listen to an expert," D'Alessandro said.
The Women's Forum consists of a luncheon and silent auction with dozens of prizes such as spa giveaways, dinners for four, jewelry and handbags. Since 1994, the forum has raised more than $2.3 million for Greater Atlantic City Charities. The nonprofit event organized by 14 volunteer committee members gives 100% of its proceeds to local charities,said Brett Matik, one of the two co-chairs who organized the event.
This year's event focused on raising funds for Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Atlantic, Cape May and Camden Counties, the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, and the Atlantic City Day Nursery.
"It's a great afternoon, but I think it can either be a good networking event or just a nice day to be uplifted and listen to someone, learn something and spend time with other women," said Matik. "Some people come with their friends, some people come alone, but they sit with other people and it's pretty cool because then you get to learn about people in our community and what they do."
The highlight of the forum each year is a celebrity keynote speaker. Past speakers have included actress Brooke Shields, late comedian Joan Rivers, cosmetics company founder Bobbi Brown and baker Debbie Fields.
This year, Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, flew into the city via helicopter to be this year's keynote speaker.
Bush Hager is a co-host of NBC's "Today with Hoda & Jenna" and an author of "Everything Beautiful in Its Time," which tells the story of her grandparents, former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, and the wisdom that shaped who she is. She also wrote "Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope" and "Sisters First" with her twin, Barbara Pierce Bush, as well as "Our Great Big Backyard" and "Read All About It" with her mother, former first lady Laura Bush.
She talked about her experience being a former president's daughter, living a "normal"-ish life despite being a part of the first family, and being a wife and mother of three.
"Now, you would think the daughter of two presidents would have had a really tricky childhood, and I didn't. I had a father that before he went into politics was into baseball, so he could be home at five o'clock every day. He would run, and I would ride my bike next to him," said Bush Hager. "There was no cellphones. There wasn't really any computers when I was little, so there was nothing distracting my parents from parenting me. So we always felt their presence."
Her parents let them be self-expressive, make mistakes and experience their own personal growth, which she has tried to pass on to her own children.
Being present is another value Bush Hager carried into her adult life. Being fully engaged when she did have the time to spend with her loved ones, or even when she was at work, was how she enjoyed every moment of life, despite the juggling act, she said.
She said she manages life by having a supportive partner, letting go of "mom guilt" when she is unable to attend her children's events and being honest with herself about what she can handle.
She also answered audience questions about being a woman working in media, if she'd ever enter the realm of politics (the answer was no), if she's ever seen the movie "My Date with the President's Daughter" and whether she had a favorite letter that her grandfather wrote her.
"I think one of the things that I figured out early on in life, and being a mom, is that balance is not real," said Bush Hager. "I try to just enjoy where I am when I'm there. I don't regret anything. And being here with you all now, I'm enjoying this so much."
Cape May finishes new library; ribbon cutting to be held next week
- isaac.linsk
CAPE MAY— The rehabilitation of the historic Franklin Street School into Cape May County's newest library is complete, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. June 13.
Prior to the ceremony and dedication, a "Book Brigade" will be held at 1 p.m. at the location of the former library at 110 Ocean St., reenacting the same transfer of books that happened in 1982 when the Ocean Street library was dedicated.
Built in 1927 as a segregated elementary school, the building is a designated New Jersey African American Historic Site. It is located adjacent to the Harriet Tubman Museum.
The project finished four years after the Cape May County Library Commission submitted an application to the New Jersey State Library for funding to repurpose and rehabilitate the historic school. The commission was awarded nearly $3.5 million in November 2020 and was one of 38 approved grants in the state.
“As I have said before, this project is a perfect example of how to preserve the past while preparing for the future,” Mayor Zachary Mullock said Thursday in a news release. “We have been able to save an important historic building by repurposing it into a 21st century library that honors that history while meeting the educational, recreational, technological and other needs of the community.”
The project was supported by funds from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, theNational Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Historic Preservation Fund,the New Jersey Historic Trust and local contributions from the county and city of Cape May.
Lacey Township woman charged with employing child in drug manufacturing scheme
- John Russo
A Lacey Township woman was charged in a narcotics manufacturing scheme in which she allegedly employed one of her children in the making and distribution of drugs, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.
Margaret Whalen, 60, was charged with maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance facility, manufacturing psilocybin mushrooms, possession of psilocybin mushrooms with intent to distribute, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
In March, Lacey police were alerted by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency that Whalen was using her Elwood Street home to make and distribute psilocybin mushrooms, the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release.
On March 13, police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office searched the home. They seized several jars containing suspected psilocybin mushrooms, which were confirmed by a lab 10 days later, the Prosecutor's Office said.
The investigation revealed Whalen manufactured and distributed those mushrooms from her home while the legal guardian of three minor children who also lived there. The investigation also found Whalen employed one of the children in the manufacturing and distribution of those narcotics, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Whalen was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Ocean County jail.
Atlantic City man indicted in death of Galloway teenager
- Vincent Rapallo
An Atlantic City man who was allegedly responsible for the death of a Galloway Township teenager was indicted Tuesday on a charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident which resulted in death, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Everette Williams, 51, was charged in the Feb. 17 crash that killed a 17-year-old pedestrian identified by the Prosecutor's Office as J.J.
Williams, who was driving a Jeep Compass, struck J.J. on the White Horse Pike in Absecon at 9:23 p.m., the Prosecutor's Office said Thursday in a news release.
An investigation revealed Williams was operating the vehicle with a suspended driver's license and abandoned the vehicle after removing its vehicle identification number, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Casino union, Alexander campaign rally in Atlantic City to urge counting of 1,800 ballots opened early
- Michelle Brunetti Post
ATLANTIC CITY — Chanting “All votes matter!” and “Count our votes!” about 40 Unite Here Local 54 members and supporters of Democratic congressional candidate Tim Alexander rallied at the Atlantic County Civil Courts Building on Thursday afternoon.
“I think it was an honest mistake the Board of Elections made by opening some ballots early,” Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio said at the event. “But it’s not fair to voters or candidates to not count those votes.”
Atlantic County Superior Court Assignment Judge Michael Blee will hear testimony Friday morning from Atlantic County Board of Elections staff and representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties about how 1,800 vote-by-mail ballots were opened May 6, when under state law they were not to be opened until five days before the June 4 primary election.
Blee will make a decision after the hearing about whether they can be counted or there is too much evidence of tampering to count them.
Alexander, a civil rights attorney from Galloway Township, trails businessman Joe Salerno, of Lower Township, by about 397 votes in the primary race to run in November’s general election as the Democratic candidate.
Alexander won Atlantic County overall, so he is hopeful he will pick up enough mail-in votes to see victory.
“I’m still optimistic. We just ticked up this morning,” Alexander said of gaining a few more votes in later counted ballots.
The spread had been 401 votes Thursday morning and is now in the “high 300s,” Alexander said.
“I’m here for fairness,” Alexander said. “We want the votes counted.”
Salerno said in a phone interview Thursday he feels confident of a win and hopes the disputed Atlantic County votes do get counted.
The Atlantic County vote-by-mail ballots will likely favor Alexander, Salerno said, “but we should still be OK.”
“People who made their decisions the latest broke hard for us,” Salerno said of election day totals. He said he won every county’s election day totals except Atlantic, which he said he lost by one vote.
Counting early voting, vote-by-mail and election day machine voting, in addition to Atlantic, Alexander won Cumberland, Salem and Ocean counties, but lost narrowly in Gloucester County and lost heavily in Cape May County, Alexander said.
“I underperformed in Cape May County,” he said.
It wasn’t just a hometown advantage for Salerno and their other main opponent, engineer Carolyn Rush of Sea Isle City, he said.
“Had we put more work in Cape May County I don’t think we’d be here (behind) now,” Alexander said. “I own that.”
Rush said Thursday she needs more information to say whether the disputed 1,800 mail-in ballots should be counted.
“My strongest feeling is I want to understand how this happened,” Rush said in a phone interview. “Was it just the 1,800, or could there possibly be more?”
She said the board staff is known to be experienced, so it makes no sense that they would make a mistake like this.
“I don’t like the smell of it,” Rush said.
In addition to Local 54 members, rally participants included Democrats from around the region.
“I’m here to support Tim and to say every vote should be counted,” said Maureen Leidy, of Egg Harbor Township, after participating in chants in front of the courthouse. Leidy is president of the South Jersey Democratic Women's Forum.
“You cannot be telling people to ‘Vote, vote, vote’ and then take their voice from them,” said Evelyn Cannon-Dingle, of Vineland. “You can’t say, ‘Your vote doesn’t count’ because somebody made a mistake.”
The decision is in the judge’s hands because the four-person Board of Elections, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, deadlocked on a vote.
Retired lawyer Arlene Groch participated in the rally and said she has no concerns about the group being perceived as pressuring a judge.
“I know the court will be independent,” Groch said. “I believe the court will be fair. It doesn’t hurt to remind the judge we all really care about our votes being counted.”
Mays Landing woman indicted in death of Stockton University student
- John Russo
A Mays Landing woman allegedly responsible for the death of a Stockton University student was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated manslaughter, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Alexia Glass, 25, is charged in the crash that occurred shortly after midnight March 28 that killed 22-year-old Yolanda Pacheco, of Mount Holly, Burlington County.
At 12:26 a.m., Glass, who was driving a Toyota Corolla, struck the car being operated by Pacheco while driving on the Black Horse Pike in Hamilton Township.
The impact caused Pacheco's vehicle to flip and strike three parked cars, police said in March.
Pacheco was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in her vehicle and Glass were taken to a local hospital with moderate injuries.
An investigation revealed that Glass was intoxicated, the Prosecutor's Office said. Police also determined Glass was driving at excessive speeds when she struck Pacheco.
Pacheco was a psychology student at Stockton. She would have graduated last month.
A GoFundMe raised more than $20,000 to help with funeral costs.
Cape Express Beach Blast soccer tournament returns to Wildwood this month
- Vincent Rapallo
WILDWOOD— Beach Blast soccer returns to the beaches this month.
Teams will compete five-on-five barefoot on the sand June 29 and June 30. Games will be played from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, with U8 to U19 divisions for boys and girls, men, women and co-eds.
The tournament, hosted by the Cape Express Soccer Club, brings in more than 1,000 youth and adult teams across the East Coast. There will be more than 100 fields across the beach to accommodate the large turnout, spanning from Baker Avenue to Poplar Avenue.
Registration for youth teams is $995, which includes 10 Morey's Pier amusem*nt passes that can be used at all three amusem*nt piers and both waterparks. Adult team registration is $550 and doesn't include amusem*nt passes.
The beach tournament is free to spectators.
A second tournament, MORE Beach Blast, will take place July 20 and 21.
For more information, visit capeexpress.com.
Egg Harbor Township-based Spirit Halloween hiring 50,000 seasonal employees ahead of store openings
- Press staff reports
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Spirit Halloween, the seasonal costume and party store based in the township, is preparing to open its doors once again for the 2024 season.
The company's flagship store at 6725 Black Horse Pike will have its grand opening Aug. 1.
Spirit, the largest Halloween retailer in North America, is looking for 50,000 seasonal sales associates and store managers to work at its 1,500 locations.
"The excitement and enthusiasm of Halloween continues to grow, and as we gear up for another season, we are looking forward to welcoming new associates and store managers to our team," said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween, in a news release. "Opening over 1,500 retail locations is no small feat, and much of the magic we create for fans each year is thanks to the passion and dedication of our associates who bring the Spirit Halloween experience to life."
Spirit is offering its employees flexible scheduling and a pay incentive program with returning store managers eligible for a seasonal retention bonus. All employees receive a 30% discount on store purchases, the company said.
Prospective employees can find more information at work4spirit.com or by texting “Reaper” to 85000 to apply. For more information, visit spirithalloween.com or @spirithalloween on social media.
Shirley MacLaine, 90, is filming a new movie in Atlantic City's iconic Ducktown neighborhood
- Amy S. RosenbergThe Philadelphia Inquirer
ATLANTIC CITY — In her signature oversize sunglasses, the 90-year-old movie star Shirley MacLaine sat in an alleyway in Ducktown, Atlantic City's most famous neighborhood. Eccentric and durable, she fit right in.
On Arctic Avenue on Monday evening, between Georgia and Mississippi avenues, home of the White House Sub Shop, Hollywood was giving the place the close-up it always feels it deserves: filming a new Brad Furman movie called "People Not Places" with MacLaine as its star.
MacLaine plays "a sprightly woman in her twilight years who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a local homeless man, while struggling to mend a troubled relationship with her son," according to the film's official description.
But first, as annoyed detoured traffic snaked around the congested inner part of town, the crew had to make it rain with hoses. Naturally, just as it came time to roll the cameras, the sun came out. They'll fix it in the post-edit.
Atlantic City has been the backdrop for a handful of movies, most famously Louis Malle's "Atlantic City" (where a lemon-freshened Susan Sarandon and Burt Lancaster famously had lunch in what's now the bar at the Knife & Fork Inn), and most recently for the Netflix feature film "Army of the Dead," in which zombies were filmed inside what's basically a zombie casino floor: the closed Atlantic Club casino.
MacLaine was helped across the street into the Formica-Freitag Bakery, formerly Formica, creators of Atlantic City's famous bread, to await the shot. Icon, meet iconic.
Her costar, Stephen Dorff, dressed as a person who is unhoused, wandered around the street looking like he was practicing his lines, daring to peer over the police barricades.
The director, Furman, grew up in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. His mother, Ellen Brown Furman, wrote the script. The family would vacation at a beach house in Ventnor.
At the White House Sub Shop, the staff grumbled over the loss of business. The shoot helped "not at all," they said, as the block of Arctic between Georgia and Mississippi was closed off all day. One staff member grudgingly gave a plastic knife to the crew member who wanted to cut his sub.
Neighbors peeked out of their homes, impressed by the stardom, but lamenting their cars being trapped on the block, narrating into cellphones every small thing that happened. ("She's getting into a car." "They're making it rain.")
The women inside Pancho's, another iconic food shop on this block of Arctic Avenue, peered out of their shop.
The owner of Setaara, the nearby Afghan-French place closed on Mondays, watched from a nearby alleyway. A man passed by the crew with a slice of cake from Las Delicias De La Negra Mexican, the new restaurant on the block.
Mostly, though, it was crew members on folding chairs waiting for, well, it was hard to say. There was a lot of waiting.
The street was wet, but the car wasn't. More hoses! MacLaine wanted the car parked closer to the curb. Dorff needed last-minute hair spray to make his hair look more greasy. He practiced what looked like some sort of scuffle with another cast member near the car out of which MacLaine would emerge when the brief moments of actual filming began.
Was this the moment MacLaine actually meets Dorff, as she exits the car in front of Formica's and he's scuffling with someone? Some other bit of plot deeper into the movie? Why is she going to Formica's in the rain, in a car? Could she need an Atlantic City roll that badly? Tomato pie? From a distance, you could hear MacLaine's briskly delivered lines cut through the evening air, and things suddenly got tight, focused, dramatic. She's a star.
On Arctic Avenue, the sun shone through the fake rain.
Ex-Margate firefighter sentenced in $50 million prescription fraud scheme
- John O'Connor
A former Margate firefighter who admitted his role in a $50 million prescription fraud scheme will spend a year in federal prison, according to court records.
Michael Sher, of Northfield, pleaded guilty in March 2018 to conspiring to defraud a health care benefit program, and was sentenced May 16 in front of U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.
Sher also issubject to three years of supervised release and must pay $7 million in restitution, records show.
Sher and his two brothers, John and Tom Sher, were brought into a scheme started by William Hickman, a local pharmaceutical salesman, for the purpose of using government employees to have compound medications, including vitamins and libido creams, earn them money, according to the complaint document.
The federal government said the scheme cost New Jersey health care benefits programs and other insurers more than $50 million.
Michael Sher received more than $1.7 million for submitting fraudulent claims for compound medications, records indicate.
John Sher was sentenced to three years in prison last April after pleading guilty, while Tom Sher received eight years in prison for his role. All three brothers were Margate firefighters.
Critics slam Gov. Murphy for signing public records bill
- Sophie Nieto-Munoznewjerseymonitor.com
Elected officials from both sides of the aisle and progressive activists fumed Wednesday after Gov. Phil Murphy announced he signed the controversial bill overhauling the state’s Open Public Records Act into law.
Media organizations, good government groups, and transparency advocates have spent weeks urging Murphy to veto the bill, saying it would gut the law that governs what government documents are allowed to be released to the public.
Former state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a Bergen County Democrat who defended the old version of the Open Public Records Act, calledMurphy’s move “terribly disconcerting.”
“It seems they did it just because they could!” Weinberg said on social media.
Nicole Rodriguez, president of progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, calledthe new law “bad policy, bad politics, and bad news for anyone who believes that government should work for the people and not for special interests.”
“Public records are how we shine a spotlight on corruption and hold officials accountable when they’re not doing what’s best for their communities. New Jersey just took a big step forward with our first primary election without ‘the line’ on the ballot, and now the state is taking two even bigger steps backward. This is a dark day for transparency, accountability, and democracy in New Jersey,” Rodriguez said.
The law places limits on when public entities are forced to pay the legal fees of people who win public records disputes in court, shields certain types of documents from public view, and allows judges to ban some people from making any requests at all.
Murphy in a statement said that while he believes some of the criticism of the bill is not irrational, overall the legislation makes “relatively modest” changes to the Open Public Records Act. Those thoughts were echoed by one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris), who noted that the bill would require the Government Records Council — the state agency that adjudicates records disputes — to make decisions quicker.
“Government transparency is the bedrock of our democratic society, and this bill underscores that fundamental principle. This law will save taxpayers money and time by increasing public access to government documents online, speeding up the process to resolve cases with the GRC, and reduces the need for OPRA requests,” said Bucco, who was not present in the Senate when that body passed the bill last month.
The bill’s critics remain unconvinced. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, criticized Murphy for waiting until after Tuesday’s primary election to sign the bill.
“The deliberate/manipulative nature of it speaks to the fact he knows it’s wrong. It’s extremelydisrespectful to voters that want an honest dialog, and he is basicallytelling voters again and again you are fools,” Fulop said.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, another Democrat seeking to succeed Murphy, also opposes the bill.
“I’m disappointed. Today is a step backwards in New Jersey’s pursuit of democracy,” Baraka said.
Jesse Burns, the executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, said lawmakers who supported the bill “have turned their backs on one of our essential rights.”
“This long struggle to defend democracy has proven we must restore power to the people of this state so they cannot continue to be blatantly ignored by those that are meant to serve them,” Burns said.
This story first appeared on the New Jersey Monitor.
Vineland man sentenced in 2015 shooting deaths
- John O'Connor
A Vineland man likely will spend the next four decades in prison after being sentenced Monday in the deaths of two people in 2015, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said.
Sheldon M. Goldsborough Sr., 44, received 45 years for aggravated manslaughter, 20 years for conspiracy to commit murder, 10 years for reckless manslaughter and 10 years for aggravated assault in the shooting deaths of Damien Mills and Kevin Peterson.
All counts will run concurrent with each other, and the sentence is consecutive to a sentence Goldsborough is currently serving on an unrelated matter, the Prosecutor's Office saidThursday in a news release.
Police responded to the 100 block of West Grape Street at 12:19 a.m. March 8, 2015, for a report of shots fired. Officers found Mills dead at the scene. Peterson, who suffered four gunshot wounds, died laterat a local hospital. A female victim, who survived, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
Investigators found a flip-phone near shell casings and the victim's vehicle. The phone was swabbed for DNA and returned as a match to Michael R. Loftin Jr., 29, of Cincinnati, who was charged June 2, 2015, for his involvement.
Another number that called Loftin's phone was connected to Goldsborough, and the investigation revealed the two were together at the time of the killings as Goldsborough's phone was pinging to a nearby tower.
Goldsborough was acquitted on the original murder counts, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Loftin was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison in October.
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