New Jersey
Ice cream is back! It’s springtime in New Jersey
Helene Berrios, Clifton NJ ice cream queen : Video
Follow along the route as Helene the Ice Cream queen delivers frozen treats from her truck rolling through the streets of Clifton.
Paul Wood Jr, NorthJersey.com
Breaking news, North Jersey — spring is officially here!
I bet if Shakespeare were alive right now? He’d be writing elegant sonnets about Branch Brook Park, or the way the sun rises gently over the Passaic.
But, he’s not.
So, here’s this instead. Hope it suffices.
A Food Writer’s Ode to Ice Cream, by me
April in Jersey — how the birds sing. From 40 to 75? What a wonderful thing.
As the temperatures rise, and blossoms bloom like a dream, one thought fills my mind; time for Garden State ice cream.
Cookie dough, Oreo, raspberry cheesecake with swirls.
If spring doesn’t mean scoops to you? You’re wrong, boys and girls.
At the changing of the seasons, we’re met with a prize.
The frozen dessert shops reopen, and it’s a treat to the eyes.
We’ve got Francy’s in Bergenfield and Denville Dairy on Main; Nasto’s in Newark scoops next to Fornos of Spain.
On Graham Slam! On Brownie Batter! On Beenie’s Dunkaroos! If the flavor’s from Jersey? Who cares what you choose.
When in Ridgewood, Van Dyk’s got mint chocolate chip, and with s’mores from Holsten’s? Bloomfield’s worth the trip. Grab cotton candy at Applegate — which looks great in GIFs — and don’t get me started on literally everything at Cliff’s.
Top it with fudge, top it with Reese’s, crumble cookies and M&Ms. Throw it over a brownie; all ice creams are gems! In Jersey, scoop shops have been around forever, with owners serving nostalgia in ways that are clever.
Thus, when you eat Conrad’s — in any sundae rendition — you’re tasting 3,000 calories of sweet, sweet tradition.
So, forget California with its charcoal black flavors. If my ice cream is hipster? Please do me a favor:
Throw out those veggie-infusions with “corn from the shuck.” Avocado and basil? I don’t give a truck (sorry, family-friendly newspaper).
Give me Ice Cream on Grand; write Curly’s on a sweater.
Because I’m from New Jersey — and our ice cream is better.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can’t find her in Jersey’s best restaurants, she’s probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
Want to visit the ice cream shops mentioned in this article? Follow this list:
- Francy’s Artisanal Ice Cream: 461 S Washington Ave., Bergenfield; 201-942-6282, francysicecream.com
- Denville Dairy: 34a Broadway, Denville; 973-627-4214, denvilledairy.com.
- Nasto’s Ice Cream Co.: 236 Jefferson St., Newark; 973-589-3333, nastosicecream.com.
- Beenie’s Ice Cream: 38 Morris St., Morristown; 862-260-9221, beeniesicecream.com.
- Van Dyk’s Homemade Ice Cream: 145 Ackerman Ave., Ridgewood; 201-444-1429, vandyksicecream.com.
- Holsten’s Ice Cream: 1063 Broad St., Bloomfield; 973-338-7091, holstens.com.
- Applegate Farm: 616 Grove St., Montclair; 973-744-5900, applegatefarm.com.
- Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream: 1475 Route 46, Ledgewood; 973-584-9721, cliffsicecream.com.
- Conrad’s Confectionary: 107 Westwood Ave., Westwood; 201-664-2895, conrads1928.com.
- Ice Cream on Grand: 523 Grand Ave., Englewood; 201-569-5346, icecreamongrand.com.
- Curly’s Ice Cream: 30 Route 23, Riverdale and 121 Monroe St., Boonton; 973-794-4720, curlysboonton.com.
New Jersey
Woman charged with theft for taking dog outside N.J. home, police say
A woman has been charged with theft for taking a dog outside a Clifton, New Jersey, home in April, police say.
Last month, William Chan told CBS News New York his dog, a 7-year-old Shih Tzu-Yorkshire Terrier mix named Rocky, somehow got out of the house on April 5 while his nephew was dog-sitting.
The Clifton Police Department said investigators determined that while Rocky was loose, he ran down the street and was running in or near the road at times.
Video shows Rocky did eventually return to his own yard, and a child holding a blanket can be seen chasing the dog before a woman gets out of a black SUV parked in the road. Rocky then runs onto the back porch of his home, where the woman and child corner him, grab him with a blanket, take him back to the SUV, and drive away.
The family said Rocky was wearing a harness and ID tag at the time.
Police said the woman did not make any attempt to talk to anyone inside the home or any neighbors, and neither animal control nor police received any calls about a loose dog being found on that day.
Chan called police on April 6 to report that Rocky had possibly been stolen, and investigators were later able to identify 29-year-old Mery Cepeda-Chevalier, of Newark, as a person of interest.
Officers spotted Cepeda-Chevalier’s vehicle in Passaic on April 8 and pulled her over, police said.
According to police, Cepeda-Chevalier cooperated with detectives, admitted she had Rocky, and agreed to have the detectives follow her back to her home. She then handed over the dog, and detectives reunited Rocky with his family.
On Thursday, Cepeda-Chevalier was charged via summons with one count of theft of a domestic companion animal.
New Jersey
Browns Hand Out New Jersey Uniform Numbers for All 10 Draftees, Plus a Dozen UDFAs
The Cleveland Browns announced jersey numbers for all 10 draftees, as the team’s rookie minicamp is underway at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
While First-round picks Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion had already shown off their numbers — 55 and 17, respectively .. at their introductory press conference a few days ago, the jersey numbers for other rookies hadn’t been disclosed until today.
Second-round wideout Denzel Boston will now wear No. 12, quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ old number. Sanders, a fifth-rounder last year, had previously announced a switch to his old college No. 2 beforehand.
Fifth-round linebacker Justin Jefferson has been assigned jersey No. 10, which was used by last year’s second-round running back Quinshon Judkins. No announcement has been made yet on Judkins possibly changing his number, though. He wore No. 1 at Ohio State.
Not all jersey numbers are available in Cleveland, as the team has officially retired five of them: 14 (Otto Graham), 32 (Jim Brown), 45 (Ernie Davis), 46 (Don Fleming) and 76 (Lou Groza).
|
Jersey |
Round |
Pick |
Name |
Position |
School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
55 |
1 |
9 |
Spencer Fano |
OT |
Utah |
|
17 |
1 |
24 |
KC Concepcion |
WR |
Texas A&M |
|
12 |
2 |
39 |
Denzel Boston |
WR |
Washington |
|
28 |
2 |
58 |
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren |
S |
Toledo |
|
58 |
3 |
86 |
Austin Barber |
OT |
Florida |
|
52 |
5 |
146 |
Parker Brailsford |
C |
Alabama |
|
10 |
5 |
149 |
Justin Jefferson |
LB |
Alabama |
|
18 |
5 |
170 |
Joe Royer |
TE |
Cincinnati |
|
15 |
6 |
182 |
Taylen Green |
QB |
Arkansas |
|
48 |
7 |
248 |
Carsen Ryan |
TE |
BYU |
At this point in time, eiht of the 10 rookies drafted by Cleveland in last months 2026 NFL Draft have signed their contracts. The only still-unsigned draftees are wideout Concepcion and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
In these cases, players sign a participation agreement that covers the team’s liability during the event, ensuring players are covered for injury.
Browns officially add 12 undrafted free agents
Cleveland also announced the formal signing of 12 undrafted free agents to complete it’s rookie class.
The most notable name on this list appears to be Logan Fano, a defensive end out of Utah who just happens to be Spencer Fano’s brother.
All undrafted free agent rookies were also assigned their numbers for the Browns’ rookie minicamp.
|
Jersey |
Name |
Position |
School |
|---|---|---|---|
|
29 |
Davon Booth |
RB |
Mississippi State |
|
34 |
Zion Washington |
S |
Boise State |
|
36 |
TJ Harden |
RB |
SMU |
|
36 |
Wes Pahl |
P |
Oklahoma State |
|
38 |
Kole Wilson |
WR |
Baylor |
|
43 |
Nate Evans |
CB |
Delaware |
|
47 |
DeCarlos Nicholson |
CB |
USC |
|
60 |
Izavion Miller |
OT |
Auburn |
|
64 |
Tyreak Sapp |
DE |
Florida |
|
66 |
Bernard Gooden |
DT |
LSU |
|
90 |
Khordae Sydnor |
DE |
Vanderbilt |
|
97 |
Logan Fano |
DE |
Utah |
Other players that have reportedly accepted invites to Browns’ rookie minicamp include Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes, West Virginia linebacker Reid Carrico, Fordham linebacker James Conway, and Bowling Green tight end Jyrin Johnson.
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New Jersey
Crash closes Route 38 in Hainesport, New Jersey
A serious crash in Hainesport, New Jersey, has forced Route 38 to close Thursday night.
The crash happened on Route 38 near Creek Road at around 9:30 p.m. Chopper 3 was over the scene, where two cars were badly damaged.
According to Burlington County dispatch, several people were injured in the crash.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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