New Jersey
In 'Diner Capital of the World,' 150 Have Shut Down
If all-night diners aren’t one of the first images that come to mind when you envision New Jersey, then you’re probably not a local. “I’m sure people in other states love their diners, too,” Michael Gabriele, who wrote The History of Diners in New Jersey, tells NPR. “But it’s really more of our identity and our culture here in New Jersey,” So much so, that minor league baseball’s Somerset Patriots created an alternate identity, the Jersey Diners, according to MILB.com. “Diners are such a special part of the DNA of New Jersey,” says General Manager Patrick McVerry.
There are more diners per capita in the Garden State than anywhere else in the country, prompting Eater to declare it the “diner capital of the world.” This comes with a bit of history. From the 1920s into the ’80s, Jersey was home to more than a dozen factories that manufactured up to a third of the country’s retro prefab diners, many of which opened right there. But in recent years, diners have been on the decline. About 450 remain, but there was close to 600 only a decade ago. NPR spoke to Peter Sedereas, owner of Town Square Diner and the leader of an informal coalition of Jersey diners, who cited several reasons for recent closures.
- Family lines: Sedereas believes diners were typically passed down through families, but younger generations are less keen on going into the biz. “My kids aren’t interested in the diner business,” he said. “They’re all in the medical field.”
- Worthwhile paydays: He also said that diners are usually in high-value locations. “Property values are very high, and diners are always at the best locations. In the city centers, on the busy highways, or on corners.” Without family members to pass their businesses on to, owners are selling them off for a pretty penny.
- Rising costs: And while the pandemic caused many closures, Sedereas says the diners that survived adjusted with the times, especially as food costs rose. “Our menus used to be 18 pages long,” he says. “Now it’s one page, front and back.” More efficient menus create savings in labor and prep time, and diners are also shifting away from staying open 24 hours as fewer people binge on late-night disco fries.
This flexibility could be key in keeping the state’s title. “I don’t see diners ever leaving New Jersey. Diners have always adapted,” says Sedereas. (Now from New Jersey: maple syrup.)
New Jersey
Garden State Equality director resigns amid child endangerment, assault charges
Christian Fuscarino resigned Tuesday as executive director of Garden State Equality amid charges of child endangerment and assault after an incident last month with a child in his Neptune City home.
“I resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter,” Fuscarino, a nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, said in a statement on social media.
“While my loved ones and I have been working through this moment together with care and love, the press has turned a deeply personal situation into a public headline,” Fuscarino said.
“Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly,” he added.
Fuscarino asked that the matter “be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”
Fuscarino, 35, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker and two counts of simple assault, according to court documents.
An affidavit of probable cause alleges Fuscarino pulled the child from bed about 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and struck the victim multiple times in the face with an open hand, pushing the child into a wall during the encounter.
The incident was captured on a home security video system, according to the affidavit.
The child was later taken to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center in Freehold for a forensic interview. The child made no disclosure of physical abuse, the affidavit states.
However, another person living in the home told investigators they witnessed Fuscarino strike the child and intervened.
The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency obtained the video and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 20.
A Neptune City police detective arrested Fuscarino on Nov. 21. The case has since been referred to the prosecutor’s office, court records show.
In a statement Tuesday, Garden State Equality said they had placed Fuscarino on leave after learning of the charges.
By Wednesday, Fuscarino’s bio on the Garden State Equality website had been removed.
“Garden State Equality takes allegations against our staff seriously and we oppose violence of any kind,” the agency said. “We respect the courts and will allow that process to be handled by them.”
Fuscarino had served since 2016 as the executive director of Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ organization in New Jersey, which is based in Asbury Park.
With 20 years of experience in LGBTQ+ advocacy, Fuscarino had been at the forefront of efforts to protect transgender rights, combat hate violence, and implement groundbreaking healthcare and education policies.
In a July 2018 story posted to NJ.com, Fuscarino said he wanted to dedicate his life to helping New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community so that others would not have to suffer the indignities that he endured in adolescence.
New Jersey
10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
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