New Jersey
North Jersey teen’s legacy lives on with opening of ‘Khameryn’s Kloset’ at high school
PASSAIC − From a young age, Khameryn Oliver was always searching for ways to make a difference in her community as a member of the Girl Scouts.
Sadly, she did not get to complete her latest, most ambitious project after a March car crash that claimed her life two months later.
But those closest to Oliver wanted to ensure her name would live on through her initiative created to help others in need. On Thursday, that vision became a reality at Passaic High School.
Family members, school officials and others in Girl Scout Troop 95322 gathered in the high school library to celebrate the opening of “Khameryn’s Kloset.” The room provides a central location for students to take any personal items they need, including toothbrushes, wipes, lotion, combs and feminine hygiene products.
Oliver, 17, died after nearly two months in a coma following the March 16 crash on County Road 508 in Kearny that also killed her parents, Rhakeem Oliver and Shavonn Stewart-Oliver. Stewart-Oliver was vice principal of School 6 in Passaic at the time of her death.
Oliver was posthumously honored with the Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, for her project at Thursday’s ceremony. She had already planned out the initiative and was beginning to solicit donations prior to the fatal crash, according to her longtime Girl Scout troop leader, Kristy Wellins.
“Her vision was to bring supplies and products to people who may be experiencing some sort of crisis, whether it’s homelessness or a fire at their home or just some sort of need that was not being fulfilled,” Wellins said. “She said, ‘I know that I can bring people together to help fulfill that need.’”
Oliver was a student at Paramus Catholic and member of the indoor track team.
On Thursday, Khameryn Oliver’s grandmother, Karen, and great-uncle, Robert, were on hand to accept the Gold Award certificate and pin from Charisse Taylor, chief program officer of the Girls Scouts of Northern New Jersey.
“Earning the highest award in Girl Scouting celebrates your contributions to today’s world and to our collective future,” Taylor read from the certificate. “It certifies your ability as a leader and a positive force who has changed the world for a better tomorrow.”
Robert Oliver thanked the roughly 50 attendees who came out to support the family, saying, “I’m sure my nephew Rhakeem and his beautiful wife would have been so proud of Khameryn to be here.” He called his great-niece’s project “truly an asset to this city that we all grew up in.”
Khameryn’s Kloset
Khameryn’s Kloset is the latest facet of the partnership started this year between Passaic and Full Service Community Schools, a program that provides various community resources to give students a brighter future. Upcoming plans in the district include the establishment of a mental health clinic, a food pantry and a professional mentorship program.
Wellins, who is also the Full Service associate project director, said the partnership allows the program to expand even further than Khameryn Oliver ever imagined. But whenever students stop in to Khameryn’s Kloset for some necessary items, the sign above the door will always remind them who set everything in motion.
“She was thinking, ‘I’ll just do this one little project,’” Wellins said. “But look at us all here today and how much inspiration and how many lives she’s touched.”
The six-county region — Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic and Union — is home to 2.6 million residents, six major league teams and four NCAA Division I athletic programs that collectively drew 12.7 million in attendance during our study.
Home base: The region is home to sports business companies including: 16W Marketing; BetMGM; Goldklang Group; Mars Wrigley (U.S. operations); Prudential Financial; Samsung; Skanska; and ZRG Partners.
Over the past three years, MetLife Stadium (which will host eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including the final), and Prudential Center (which added the PWHL Sirens to its busy roster) each reported record revenues, and Sports Illustrated Stadium snagged a new naming-rights deal and will be the official NY/NJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub.
Recent events and wins for the area include WrestleMania in 2019; the SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa in March; 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball East Regional; and Brazil’s base camp at the Red Bulls’ Columbia Park Training Center.
Previous Rankings
2023: #2 (with New York City)
2024 Event Hosting: #7 (with New York City)
2025 Soccer: #2 (with New York City)
A black bear was spotted in the area of Frederick Court in Princeton on Saturday night, according to an alert issued to residents. A bear was also spotted May 15 in the area of Heather Lane between Cherry Valley Road and Great Road. It is unclear whether the latest sighting is the same bear.
Residents are advised not to approach the bear and to remain indoors if they see it.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, black bears are common in parts of New Jersey, and they sometimes travel through residential neighborhoods as part of their natural movement patterns.
Residents should not leave food or garbage outdoors because bears can quickly become attracted to human food sources. Bears may eat garbage, pet food, birdseed, and other easily accessible items. Bears that gain access to food in residential neighborhoods may lose their fear of people and repeatedly return to the area. Some nuisance bears eventually must be trapped.
State wildlife officials urged residents in bear-prone areas to take precautions to reduce the chances of attracting bears.
Recommended precautions from the The information was provided by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife include:
- Use certified bear-resistant garbage containers.
- Store garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Keep garbage in a secure location until the morning of pickup.
- Do not feed bears.
- Do not approach bears.
- Do not run from bears because running may trigger a chase response.
- Avoid direct eye contact with bears.
- Remain calm and slowly back away if encountering a bear.
- Make noise by yelling, clapping, singing, or using an air horn.
- Make yourself appear larger by waving your arms or lifting a jacket overhead.
- Stay together if you are in a group.
- Make sure the bear has an escape route.
Officials also advised residents to watch for warning behaviors from bears, including huffing sounds, jaw popping, and swatting at the ground, which can indicate the animal feels threatened.
Bears may stand on their hind legs to get a better view or detect scents in the air, which is not always considered threatening behavior.
Residents can report black bear damage or nuisance behavior to the NJDEP’s 24-hour hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP, or 1-877-927-6337.
Tuesday, May 17, 1977 ― 49 Years Ago
Worldwide shortages of oil could cripple the global economy by the early 1980s if nations do not immediately pivot toward conservation and alternative energy. That was the stark warning issued on the front page of the Asbury Park Press on this date from the Workshop on Alternative Energy Strategies, a respected international think tank, as reported by the Associated Press.
Organized in 1974 by Carroll L. Wilson, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the 35-member panel of government and business leaders concluded that the supply gap would likely reach a critical breaking point between 1985 and 1995, the AP wrote. While the experts suggested that aggressive conservation efforts might push the crisis as far back as 2010, the consensus was that the era of abundant, cheap energy was over.
2 Murderers Escape From Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital
MARLBORO ― Two convicted murderers escaped early this morning from the Rahway Prison Unit located on the grounds of Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital, according to township police.
Raymond Bukowski of Plainfield, serving up to 25 years for murder and armed robbery, and Nicholas Gallicchio of Newark, serving up to 30 years for murder, were both reported missing at 1:30 a.m. today; police said.
Mayor Arthur Goldzweig, who has previously asked the state to close the prison unit here, said early today that the township will now seek a court order to close it.
The mayor, who is a Democratic candidate for state Assembly, said he will also ask the governor to provide immediate additional security at the prison unit, either through the New Jersey State Police or with increased security staff.
The Marlboro Township Police Department did not release details early today on how the murderers got out of the unit. Three other prisoners have escaped from the hospital grounds recently.
Jordan Drops Governor Bid; To Back Byrne
TRENTON ― Jersey City Mayor Paul T. Jordan yesterday withdrew as a candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and endorsed Gov. Brendan T. Byrne as the party’s standard-bearer.
Previously, Jordan said Byrne’s nomination would be a “disaster” and that New Jerseyans would breathe a “collective sigh of relief” if the governor did not run for re-election.
Jordan, whose withdrawal from the primary election race came after the one-sided defeat of his candidate in the Jersey City mayoral election last week, said he will now campaign actively for Byrne.
Byrne, through a spokesman, welcomed the endorsement, saying that Jordan’s philosophy closely paralleled his own.
Richard Coffee, Byrne’s campaign director, said the move “projects the governor as the solid front-runner” in the Democratic primary field.
Fire Damages 2 Stores in Monmouth Mall
EATONTOWN ― Firemen battled a smoldering, smoky blaze at the Monmouth Mall for nearly two hours last night and into this morning.
Fire Chief Joseph Gaetano of the Eatontown Fire Department said the blaze was confined to rear portions of the Rite Aid Pharmacy and the Puppy Love Pet Shop in the northwest section of the main level of the mall.
He said this morning it still had not been determined whether the fire started inside or outside the drug store, although most of the fire damage was located in the storeroom of the pharmacy.
All animals in the pet shop, including a prize monkey and cockatoo, were rescued by firemen who groped through thick smoke in the store.
Several firemen were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by the Eatontown First Aid Squad, said Assistant Fire Chief William Stalfa.
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