New Jersey
Mick Jagger stops in at NJ diner: This week in Central Jersey history, July 29-Aug. 4
Mick Jagger, hours before he went onstage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, grabbed a classic NJ breakfast at the Tick Tock Diner in Clifton.
Jagger ordered Taylor ham, egg and cheese. “So we went to the Tick Tock Diner!” Jagger told the audience. “We had Taylor ham, egg and cheese! With Disco fries! And sloppy joe to go!”
Here’s a look at events that happened in Central Jersey from five, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years ago this week.
Five years ago
July 29, 2019: A state appellate court upheld the conviction of James Quackenbush, 51, of Plainfield, serving a 40-year sentence in NJ State Prison, for murdering his mother, Gail Vandewalle, 69, in February 2013 by hitting her on the head with a 12-pound dumbbell.
July 30: The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, on what would have been its namesake’s 16th birthday, commemorated its second anniversary, announcing the nonprofit had donated more than $100,000 to help pediatric patients and other children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
July 30: Te’Rai Powell, a rising senior at St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, announced on Twitter that he would play football for Rutgers University. Powell helped the Green Knights capture the NJSIAA Non-Public Group 4 championship the previous season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
July 31: Walter Yovany-Gomez, aka “Cholo,” 35, an MS-13 member previously named one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, was sentenced in Newark to 25 years in prison for killing Julio Matute of Plainfield in 2011.
Aug. 1: It became legal for NJ doctors to prescribe lethal medication to patients with less than six months to live. NJ was one of eight states that allowed medically assisted suicide or medical aid in dying.
Aug. 2-4: The Jersey Fringe Festival, featuring live music and a beer and wine garden, was held at 12 venues across downtown Hammonton, with the Eagle Theatre serving as the central location.
10 years ago
July 30, 2014: The Somerset Patriots beat the Lancaster Barnstormers, 7-0, on “Bark In The Park Night” at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater. Somerset won the nightcap 2-0. The Patriots established a new franchise record for wins in a half with 47, albeit three weeks after the half had actually ended.
July 30-31: Approximately 350 bicyclists, including some local residents, participated in a two-day Bike4Chai fundraiser, beginning in Piscataway and ending at Camp Simcha in Glen Spey, New York, raising more than $4 million for the overnight summer camp for children and teens with cancer and other serious illnesses.
July 31: It was reported Albert Thomson, 48, of Berkeley Heights, was indicted on charges he stole millions of dollars from his employers, Elizabeth-based New England Motor Freight, and two related companies, Eastern Freightways Inc. and Carrier Industries Inc., over eight years.
Aug. 1: Jeff Xie, 17, of Edison, a senior at J.P. Stevens High School, took home $75,000 on the “Jeopardy! Teen Tournament,” beating Alan Koolik of Boca Raton, Florida.
Aug. 3: The Under the Influence of Music tour, with Wiz Khalifa, Jeezy, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, Mack Wilds, Iamsu! and DJ Drama, was held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.
Aug. 4: In Somerville, State Superior Court Judge Robert Reed ruled David Granskie Jr.’s statement to police two days after the murder of Bridgewater resident Carolyn Stone, 45, could be admitted into his trial, which was expected to begin Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014. Stone was killed on Memorial Day weekend of 2009 at Granskie’s father’s home in the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater,
1999
July 30, 1999: Deborah Caggiano, 34, of South Plainfield, who embezzled more than $2.5 million from Beumer Corp., a Bridgewater manufacturing company, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
July 31: Three teenage girls pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault for lacing the coffee cup of their teacher at Middlesex County Vocational-Technical High School in East Brunswick with rubbing alcohol, it was reported. The girls were from Spotswood, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick.
Aug. 1: It was reported the Hispanic Riverfront Festival of New Brunswick, featuring music, dance and food, would be held Thursday, Aug. 5, 1999, through Sunday, Aug. 8, 1999, at Boyd Park in New Brunswick.
Aug. 4: The Somerset Patriots regained sole possession of first place with a 4-2 win over the Bridgeport Bluefish in front of 5,384 at Somerset Ballpark in Bridgewater, erasing the sting of a 9-1 loss in the series opener on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1999.
1974
July 29, 1974: Scott Siegrist and Rich Szumel combined for a no-hitter as Piscataway American West edged Spring Lake-Sea Girt 1-0 and advanced to the Section 3 finals of the state Little League Baseball Tournament.
July 31: N.J. Secretary of State J. Edward Crabiel, 58, was indicted along with The Franklin Contracting Co., which he once headed; George Katz of Fort Lee, a Democratic fund raiser; the Passaic Crushed Stone Co., and the Gallo Asphalt Co., on charges of bid-rigging.
Aug. 2: A fire routed the 130 tenants of the Royal Court Apartments in Perth Amboy from their beds and heavily damaged the first four floors of the five-story building. Ten apartments were destroyed and one elderly tenant was hospitalized.
Aug. 4: Patrolman Jeffrey Royte, who discovered John Burns Jr., 14, of Mount Laurel in Burlington County, sleeping peacefully in a wooded area in Clinton, unknowingly found the youth who was missing from South Jersey since the previous Monday, and was the subject of an intensive search by police and volunteers.
Aug. 4: “Show Boat,” the Jerome Kern musical classic, would be presented by Plays-in-the-Park beginning Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1974, at Roosevelt Park in Edison, it was reported.
1924
July 30, 1924: Three inmates of the NJ Reformatory at Rahway were shot when a riot broke out among the 500 inmates. Before the outbreak was stopped, the institution suffered considerable damage.
July 30: While swimming in Lake Nelson in South Plainfield, Emile Ulmric, 21, a member of the faculty of St. Joseph’s Normal College, near Metuchen, was seized with cramps and drowned before assistance could be given.
July 30-31: The movie “Her Temporary Husband,” starring Sidney Chaplin, Sylvia Breamer and Owen Moore, was shown at Reade’s Strand Theatre in Perth Amboy.
Aug. 1: An attempt was made to “blow” the safe in the Forty-fifth street, Bayonne station of the NJ Central, but the burglars were frightened away by the police who were informed as to what was going on by a woman living near the station.
Aug. 4: In baseball, the St. Peter’s Lyceum beat the Pirates of Sayreville, 2-0.
Brad Wadlow is a staff writer for MyCentralJersey.com
New Jersey
Blizzard causes heavy damage to New Jersey animal refuge
A New Jersey animal shelter is asking for the public’s help after last month’s blizzard did heavy damage to its property in Ocean County.
On social media, Popcorn Park Animal Refuge posted a video and described the fury of the storm. saying that the blizzard “caused unexpected damage… impacting habitats, fencing, structures, and critical infrastructure.”
The nonprofit animal haven says its team “worked tirelessly to keep every animal safe during the storm,” however, “the aftermath has left us facing urgent repairs and significant financial strain.”
Photo: Popcorn Park Animal Refuge
The refuge says this winter has been “especially challenging.” It says “repeated severe weather has forced extended closures to the public, further limiting vital support and creating an added burden during an already difficult recovery period,” adding “we need our community now more than ever.”
Popcorn Park was established in 1977, according to its website. It’s part of the Associated Humane Societies — which bills itself as New Jersey’s largest animal welfare organization. Popcorn Park describes itself as “a sanctuary for abandoned, injured, ill, exploited, abused, or elderly farm animals, birds, and wildlife (domestic and exotic).”
New Jersey
Natural Daylight Time: What is it, and why New Jersey should adapt this practice instead
We’re now officially less than a week before we spring forward in New Jersey, and everyone has an opinion on it. The clock change, by the way, will happen on Sunday, Mar. 8, 2026. We’ll essentially skip the 2 a.m. hour and gain the extra hour of daylight in the evening.
But the reality is, we don’t gain a thing when we do this. We’re so conditioned to believe we gain sunlight, but all we’re doing is shifting the clocks. Animals don’t do this, and are unaffected by what a clock says.
ALSO READ: Snow vs. no snow: How most in NJ feel after latest blizzard
Our pets, on the other hand, are forced to change with our practice of doing this. It really is an outdated practice, but we can’t stop it just like that simply because we’ll either complain about it being too dark during winter mornings under daylight saving, or getting dark too soon during summer nights under standard time.
It should be a lot simpler. And for those of us in New Jersey, it can be. Here’s what I think we should do.
Time clocks calendar thumbs up green check approve sunrise sunset
Leave the clock, adjust our day
When I worked on a golf course, all we did was adjust when we came in based on when the sun came up. During the longer days, we started at 6 a.m. And when the sunrise was later than 6 a.m., we adjusted our start time to 7 a.m.
Why can’t we just do this when it comes to work and school? Leave the clocks in standard time since that’s the one truly aligned with the Earths rotation. During the winter, make the regular workday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., then adjust it to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the summer. It’s just that simple.
In other words, we’d be following Natural Daylight Time. Just get rid of the clock change, and adjust our day based on the sunrise. Problem solved.
Final flakes: When does snow season end in NJ?
Gallery Credit: Dan Zarrow
Significant or historical events in New Jersey for March (in chronological order)
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.
New Jersey
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware lawmakers react to U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran
The United States and Israel announced a major military assault against Iran Saturday morning, sending shockwaves through the Middle East. The massive aerial attack killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
President Trump says “heavy and pinpoint bombing” of Iran will continue for as long as necessary.
The strikes sparked demonstrations in Philadelphia and across the country. Reaction from Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey lawmakers to Operation Epic Fury was swift.
Pennsylvania lawmakers react
CBS News Philadelphia was at an event Saturday night at Villanova University with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
While the governor didn’t have time to take our questions, he said in a statement:
“In going to war with Iran, the President has not adequately explained why this war is urgent now, what this military campaign may look like, or what the strategic objective is.”
Both Pennsylvania senators expressed views of support for the strike.
Republican Dave McCormick released a statement, writing: “They (Iran) are the world’s number one sponsor of terror. The president has given the ayatollahs a chance for a deal, and they have rejected a path to peace and prosperity.”
Democrat John Fetterman posted on social media: “President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region.”
Delaware senator shares concern
Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware is concerned the move by the Trump administration further destabilizes the region.
“I’m hopeful that this phase of war will come to a quick conclusion,” Coons said over a Zoom interview with CBS News Philadelphia. “I’m alarmed President Trump launched a full spectrum war against Iran with our ally Israel without meaningfully consulting the American people.”
New Jersey lawmakers split on strikes
New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, a democrat, called the attack an appalling action by the president.
“He literally called this a war and said American lives could be lost and to be able to do this with justification, no congressional authorization, and most importantly American people don’t want this.”
South Jersey Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew arguing the attack removed a critical threat to national security:
“What we are witnessing now is a decisive response to years of aggression. The leadership of the world’s largest state sponsor of terror has been dealt a powerful blow. We killed one of the most evil men in the world….”
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