New Jersey

The O'Toole Chronicles: Newark Liberty’s new Terminal is ‘Best in the World’ – New Jersey Globe

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2024

The O'Toole Chronicles: Newark Liberty’s new Terminal is ‘Best in the World’ – New Jersey Globe

The newspaper headline read: “Expect That Airport at Newark Will Be Model for Other Cities.” The date was September 12, 1928. It was prophetic.

On Wednesday, Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A was announced as the Best New Terminal in the World, just one month after receiving a coveted five-star rating, both from Skytrax, the preeminent aviation industry ratings firm.

As Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and as a native New Jerseyan, it was a great honor for me to be part of the Port Authority team, which also included Chief Operating Officer James Heitmann, Director of Aviation Redevelopment Jacquelene McCarthy, and Aviation Operational Standards and Compliance General Manager Frank Radics, that accepted these awards at the 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards in Frankfurt, Germany.

The annual Skytrax award ceremony is known within the international aviation industry as the industry’s equivalent of the annual Academy Awards for achievements in filmmaking. Receiving these two exceptional recognitions for Newark’s Terminal A is more than winning an Oscar; it is like winning an Oscar AND a People’s Choice Award, with the former being decided by industry experts and the latter, by passengers.

The Skytrax ratings are considered a global benchmark of airport excellence, based on a detailed audit and an assessment of an airport’s product and front-line service standards. A coveted five- star terminal rating recognizes airport terminals that provide exceptional standards of facilities and staff service to customers across all front-line areas of the airport environment.

The designation as Best New Terminal in the World is the result of comprehensive surveys taken between August 2023 and March 2024 from passengers worldwide. Passengers evaluated their experiences, from airport facilities, staff service and customer experience ranging from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security, and immigration through departure at the gate.

Industry experts thought Terminal A was exceptional. Passengers thought Terminal A was exceptional. As Sally Field once famously said after winning her second Oscar, “You really like me.” Experts and passengers “really like” Newark’s Terminal A.

And there is much to like.

The $2.7 billion, 1-million-square-foot, 33-gate Terminal A is the Port Authority’s largest single investment in New Jersey, the largest design-build project in New Jersey state history, and its construction generated more than $4.6 billion in regional economic activity, creating more than 2,500 jobs.

Inside, Terminal A offers passengers world-class lounges, as well as food and retail offerings that include local shops with roots in Newark, Elizabeth, and Jersey City. In addition to world-class

customer amenities, the customer experience is enhanced by an inspiring and uplifting public art program, featuring dozens of local artists. Both the concessions and the art installations provide a distinct “New Jersey” sense of place – a signature feature of Port Authority redevelopment programs.

With both the five-star rating and the Best New Terminal in the World award, Newark’s Terminal A is a part of an elite group of just two terminals at just two airports in North America that I am proud to say are both Port Authority airports.

Terminal A joins LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B as the only two airport terminals in North America awarded the highest five-star rating by Skytrax. There are only four five-star airport terminals in the world, and two are at Port Authority airports!

This is an extraordinary accomplishment.

This is a tribute to my partner at the Port Authority, Executive Director Rick Cotton, whose leadership and integrity has ensured that the Port Authority’s historic $30 billion investment in rebuilding all three of the region’s major airports simultaneously has remained on track, even during the global pandemic.

This is a tribute to the leadership of the Port Authority Board of Commissioners who have remained committed to rebuilding our legacy infrastructure assets.

This is a tribute to the leadership of the governors of New Jersey and New York who are supporting these investments in both states, recognizing the vital importance of regional infrastructure investment.

This is a tribute to the Port Authority’s partner at Newark Liberty’s Terminal A, Munich Airport NJ LLC, the operator of the new terminal.

This is a tribute to the 8,000-person workforce of the Port Authority, who are the human structural steel that make everything possible.

This is a tribute to leadership of the 23 unions that represent the majority of the Port Authority’s workforce.

These two extraordinary recognitions – a five-rating and being named Best New Terminal in the World – represent an extraordinary turnaround for Newark Liberty. It is also an extraordinary return to the glory that once was Newark Metropolitan Airport, the first commercial airport in the nation.

Look for more to come at Newark Liberty as the Port Authority delivers a new AirTrain; plans for a new Terminal B; and opens an intermodal transit hub that will connect neighboring communities to the airport, to midtown Manhattan, and to economic opportunities across the region – all part of the comprehensive EWR Vision Plan that will re-envision Newark Liberty International Airport for the 21st century.

The 1928 headline read: “Expect That Airport at Newark Will Be Model for Other Cities.” Well, it is.

Kevin J. O’Toole is the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

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New Jersey

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells $2,000 tailgate tickets

Published

15 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells ,000 tailgate tickets

Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are highly coveted. Admission to a game can cost thousands and most matches are already sold out.

Here’s what to know, and how much tickets are selling for.

How to get New Jersey New York FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets

Fans can buy the New Jersey New York Venue Series pass starting at $25,800 per person, for admission to all eight games in New Jersey New York Stadium Stadium.

Alternatively, fans can buy premium admission that are available for upward of $1,000.

For instance, the admission to the France vs Senegal game on June 16 ranges from $2,300 to $3,400.

The closer to the final, the more expensive tickets are. Admission for the Round of 16 match on July 5, costs between $2,800 and $6,000.

Anyone interested in a luxury suite should be ready to pay roughly $200,000 for game at the New Jersey New York Stadium. The silver lining is that the price includes admission for to 24 people.

Premium tickets for the final match are sold out.

How can I buy cheaper FIFA World Cup Tickets?

A Last-Minute Sales Phase for individual tickets opens on April 2 at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets might sell out within minutes, given the high global demand for them. Most of the tickets left are category 1 and 2, the most expensive seats.

Price varies depending on the match. As an example the USA vs Paraguay match has seats available for $1,940 and $2,735, according to The Athletic.

Forty out of the 104 matches are already sold out.

What are the tailgate tickets? What is the FIFA Pavilion?

FIFA is selling Pavilion tickets for roughly $2,000. The sporting organization describes the pavilions as “an exclusive retreat located in our secure perimeter immediately outside the stadium. Featuring beverage service and elevated street food-inspired dining available pre- and post-match.

For the price, you get to tailgate a game three hours before the match and two hours after it finishes. It also includes a ticket to see the game inside the stadium.

Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.

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New Jersey

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

APP.com Digital Desk
| Asbury Park Press

Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, March 2 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $20 million ($9.4 million cash option).

The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 7, 14, 42, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 6. The Power Play number is 4.

Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?

No one won the Powerball jackpot

When is the next drawing of the Powerball?

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?

In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.

What does it cost to play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.

Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.

To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.

What is the Powerball payout?

The complete guide to winnings is:

Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
Match 4 White Balls: $100
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
Match 3 White Balls: $7
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
Match Powerball: $4
Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
Match Powerball with Power Play: $16

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.

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New Jersey

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Last June, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark launched a review called “We Are His Witnesses,” which aimed to consider potential consolidations or closures of some of its 211 North Jersey parishes.

But amid confusion and pushback from many parishioners, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Wednesday that the archdiocese will now extend its review to allow for further study and conversations.

In a letter published on the Archdiocese website March 4, Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, noted the challenges remain the same: a steady decline in membership and a shortage of priests projected to grow worse in the coming years. He did not specify how much longer the process would take but said he would have more to announce in June.

The largest of New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses, the Newark Archdiocese serves approximately 1.3 million people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

Story continues after gallery.

Some parishioners, Tobin wrote, “came to believe — incorrectly — that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose.

“This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.”

The program’s aim is not to close churches, but to “strengthen parish life” he added.

He said a follow-up announcement would come on June 12 but reassured parishioners that “there is no need to fear that an immediate and wholesale closure of parishes will be announced.”

‘The Church is not a museum’

Current circumstances demand Church leaders to make difficult decisions, he said. “The challenges we face are real: fewer priests, fewer people in the pews, communities that look very different than they did even a generation ago, and financial strain. Ignoring the changed landscape does not preserve parish life; it weakens it. The Church is not a museum to preserve what it once was,” he wrote.

The initiative kicked off last summer, with meetings at churches around the region to allow parishioners to offer feedback. Many expressed fears about their future of their church, Tobin said.

Parishioners at many of the meetings and in letters to Tobin expressed concerns about the program. As a result, Tobin concluded that “it is clear that the communities of the Archdiocese need more time for honest discernment. We are extending this phase of our work to allow for deeper reflection and broader consultation throughout our local Church.”

“This is not a pause in mission. It is a call to take the mission seriously and to ask ourselves, with renewed honesty, what it means to be a missionary Church today.”

Msgr. Richard Arnhols, pastor emeritus of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bergenfield and a member of a committee of pastoral leaders helping to guide the review, said that, “Based on the input from the priests and people of the parishes which took place last fall, Cardinal Tobin has approved a period of additional study and reflection before any decisions are made.”

The first step is further conversation among parish priests, which will take place this month, he said.

Gregory Hann, a religious instructor at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, applauded Tobin’s decision. “If we continue to do things the way we have been doing them, we become a stagnant Church and we allow the comforts of our culture and the outside to keep us from moving from the Cross to glory.”

Nicholas Grillo of Bloomfield, a parishioner who attended several listening sessions at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, approved of the decision. “Hopefully the pause will give them time to reevaluate this going forward,” he said.

He added that it was a “waste of money” to pay large sums of money to a consultant that “doesn’t understand the intricacies of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, referring to the Catholic Leadership Institute, a Pennsylvania group that the archdiocese has engaged.

Instead, Grillo suggested, “they should put together a group of lay parishioners and priests from the diocese who can collaborate on a better path forward.”

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