New Jersey
Unveiling of New Jersey Hall of Fame at American Dream as America’s First Entertainment and Learning Center
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dedicated to encouraging people to find their heroes and achieve their best, the New Jersey Hall of Fame unveiled its Entertainment and Learning Center today at American Dream before a crowd of supporters, inductees, and elected officials, including Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy. The center will be open to the public on June 28th.
“We are incredibly excited that America’s first state-focused Entertainment and Learning Center will be right here in the Garden State,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Located at American Dream, the space will embrace our rich history and celebrate the achievements of over 230 outstanding New Jerseyans. This Center will serve as a testament to our one-of-a-kind entertainment culture and supply knowledge and inspiration for generations to come.”
The 10,000-square-foot Entertainment and Learning Center, now the permanent home for New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees, boasts state-of-the-art exhibits. These include a simulated space ride called “Fly Me to the Moon,” where visitors can experience the thrill of space travel. For music enthusiasts, there’s a karaoke stage where they can sing alongside holograms of Gloria Gaynor, Wyclef Jean, Frankie Valli, and other musical legends. Also, for those interested in the arts, visitors can interview holograms of Danny DeVito, Jason Alexander, Connie Chung, Laurie Hernandez, and other notable Jersey greats in the “Late Night Jersey” Television Studio.
“Through education and entertainment, we are inspiring people to realize their dreams by becoming their best,” added Jon F. Hanson, Chairman of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. “So, there’s no better place to be than here at American Dream!”
“The State of New Jersey boasts a rich history full of iconic moments and legendary heroes, which will now be celebrated for the world to see at American Dream,” notes Don Ghermezian, CEO of American Dream. “We are excited to inspire our guests with leading entertainers, athletes, and influential individuals from the arts, education, science, and public service sectors at this one-of-a-kind Entertainment and Learning Center.”
Added President Steve Edwards, “The soul of the New Jersey Hall of Fame mission is based on the concept of Areté, Ancient Greek wisdom that means the act of actualizing one’s highest and best sense of self, with a moral excellence of character, and for the greater good. Our inductees have indeed realized their Areté, and are heroes who inspire others to do the same.”
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY HALL OF FAME
Because everyone needs a hero, the New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF) honors citizens who have made invaluable contributions to society, the State of New Jersey, and the world beyond. Since 2008, the NJHOF has hosted 15 ceremonies for more than 230 notable individuals and groups in recognition of their induction into the Hall of Fame. The NJHOF endeavors to present school children with significant and impactful role models to show that they can, and should, strive for excellence. The NJHOF is thankful for the support of its many sponsors, including Hackensack Meridian Health, without which none of our endeavors would be possible.
ABOUT AMERICAN DREAM
American Dream, developed by Triple Five Group, is an unparalleled mix of world-class entertainment, retail and dining, comprising more than 3-million square feet just minutes away from New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey. American Dream is home to leading attractions, including DreamWorks Water Park, Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium, Big SNOW Ski Hill, Dream Wheel – a 300-foot observation wheel overlooking the NYC skyline, as well as attractions debuting soon such as THE GAMEROOM Powered by Hasbro, Sesame Street Learn & Play and New Jersey Hall of Fame. American Dream’s immersive luxury shopping and dining experience – The Avenue – features Saks Fifth Avenue, Hermès, Rolex, Cartier, Watches of Switzerland, Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferrari, Gentle Monster, Canada Goose, Carpaccio, a fine-dining Italian restaurant, and much more. The retail and dining collection is further expanded with flagship locations for Aritzia, H&M, PRIMARK, Uniqlo, Sephora and Zara; as well as the Toys”R”Us global flagship, the only standalone location in the U.S, the first-ever MrBeast Burger restaurant, world renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Marcus Live! and the world’s first and only “candy department store,” IT’SUGAR.
CONTACT:
Eliza Rosenthale, Princeton Strategic Communications, (609) 558-3330 [email protected]
Aimee Brooks, Princeton Strategic Communications, (917) 881-3849 [email protected]
SOURCE New Jersey Hall of Fame
New Jersey
Officials warn of NJ Transit train chaos if NBA Finals go to Game 6 with World Cup match same day
NEW JERSEY (WABC) — New Jersey Transit train riders should be prepared for chaos if the NBA Finals reach Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on June 16.
Getting to Penn Station from New Jersey will be nearly impossible after 5 p.m. becasue it’s the same day as the France vs Senegal match at 3 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
NJ Transit will only run dedicated World Cup trains westbound from Penn Station New York from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ahead of the 3 p.m. match.
Eastbound NJ Transit trains will run into Penn Station New York, until the match ends at about 5:30 p.m.
After 5:30 p.m., the trains will discharge all passengers at either Newark Penn Station or Newark Broad Street Station, where passengers will be directed to either PATH or Newark Light Rail to get to Hoboken, and ultimately to the PATH 33rd Street Station. PATH will transport those passengers at no extra cost.
Knicks fans traveling into Manhattan for the 8:30 p.m. game may have to transfer through Newark and take the PATH into the city.
After discharging the passengers, the NJ Transit trains will then become dedicated World Cup trains for the next three hours to bring up to 40,000 fans back to Penn Station New York.
Regular eastbound service will resume about three hours after completion of the World Cup match, or about 8:30 p.m.
NJ Transit will advise Knicks fans headed in to Game 6 to arrive at MSG before 5 p.m., or be prepared to change trains in Newark.
At the conclusion of the Knicks game, regular rail service out of Penn Station New York back to New Jersey on all rail lines will be available.
Knicks fans will not have to utilize PATH to get back to New Jersey after the Knicks game.
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New Jersey
The House Is Our Firewall. NJ-07 Is How We Build It. – Insider NJ
I do not come to this fight as an abstract matter of principle. I come to it as an immigrant, as a woman, as an LGBTQ+ ally, and as a mother of two daughters. I have spent a decade fighting to advance protections for marginalized communities — in policy committees, in legislative hearings, in the unglamorous work of advocacy that rarely makes headlines. And I can tell you: what is happening right now is different. The rollbacks are no longer incremental. They are structural. And they are personal.
When I think about what is at stake in this moment, I think about my daughters. I want them to live in a country where they are free. Where their identities are not questioned. Where they never have to wonder whether they belong. This past year has shown that that future is not guaranteed. It has to be fought for. And right now, that fight runs directly through the United States House of Representatives.
The current administration is executing a coordinated assault on the institutional frameworks that protect civil rights and foster inclusion. The weaponization of anti-DEI policies is erasing marginalized identities from public and corporate spaces. Voter suppression tactics are systematically targeting Black and brown communities. Federal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals — particularly queer and trans youth — are being dismantled in favor of discriminatory policy. The threatened gutting of the Department of Education puts public schooling, the single greatest engine of upward mobility, at risk — with the heaviest burden falling on low-income students and students of color. And for immigrants, the threat of mass deportations and family separation is not a hypothetical. It is a daily reality.
When the executive branch operates with such open hostility toward equity, a compliant Congress is not a passive failure. It is a dangerous liability.
We need a House of Representatives that will aggressively assert its oversight authority, use the power of the purse to defund harmful initiatives, and hold this administration fiercely accountable. That firewall can only be built by flipping competitive seats. And the path to the House majority runs directly through New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.
To win NJ-07, we need a candidate who can neutralize the standard partisan attacks used against challengers in swing districts — and Rebecca Bennett is exactly that candidate. As a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and Air National Guard officer, her patriotism and national security credentials are unimpeachable. As a healthcare business leader, she brings private-sector credibility that resonates with this district’s voters. And as a working mother who understands what is actually at stake for families, she brings the moral clarity this moment demands.
Biography alone does not flip a district — infrastructure does. Bennett has built a campaign capable of going the distance in one of the nation’s most expensive media markets, with a top-tier team, formidable fundraising, and the organizational depth to compete against incumbent spending. She is not just a compelling candidate. She is our ONLY shot at defeating Tom Kean Jr.
I got into this work because I believe that the arc of history bends toward justice — but only when people work to bend it. I want my daughters to inherit a country that is still bending. Rebecca Bennett is running to make sure it does. That is why I am with her, without reservation, and without hesitation.
Anjali Mehrotra is a fierce advocate for representation and gender parity in all walks of life but especially at all levels of elected office. She served as a National Board member for National Organization for Women, on the state board for American Association of University Women of New Jersey and on the cabinet of Emerge New Jersey. All three organizations actively work to increase the number of women in Congress.
New Jersey
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