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Must watch: NJ.com's 25 best boys soccer videos of 2016

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A look at the top plays from 2016.


This month in N.J. history: December

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The people and events from and in New Jersey that helped shape history.

The December installment of the "This month in N.J. History" gallery includes firsts in transportation and technology; military events; birthdays of politicians, poets and pop; and extreme weather events.

If there are dates you don't see on our timeline but believe should be remembered, let us know in the comments section.

And, be sure to enable captions for the gallery so you can read all the information associated with each day in New Jersey history.

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Here are links to previous "This month in N.J. history" galleries:

November     October     September     August     July

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

N.J. teen sees new uses for old eyeglasses -- charity

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She's collecting used glasses to be recycled for use in impoverished countries.

Molly Szpakowski has found a use for your old frames.

Molly SzpakowskiMolly Szpakowski (Courtesy photo) 

Unwanted eyeglasses can be recycled for use by those who need them, both domestic and aboard. And the Hackettstown teen wants to collect them for charity.

"I started thinking about the unwanted glasses laying around my house and I decided to go on a mission to find how many I can collect. At the end of the day I found 8 pairs," she said. "So if I could do that in a day, imagine what community can do together and how many people we can help."

Szpakowski, a student at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, is gathering the glasses for New Eyes for the Needy, a New Jersey-based charity that purchases eyeglasses for those who need them in the U.S. and recycles donated glasses for others around the world. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is a spokesman for the charity.

Since 2015, New Eyes helped 9,910 U.S. residents and recycled 248,945 glasses in 41 developing countries, according to its website.

Szpakowski said she has accrued 500 pairs since she began her project at the start of November. Her goal is 2,000.

This is not her first large charitable undertaking. Last year, Szpakowski collected nearly 9,000 used prescription containers for the Malawi Project, an Indianapolis-based humanitarian group that provides medicinal, educational and other forms of aid to the sub-Saharan nation and others in Africa.

Szpakowski previously said her family instilled the importance of volunteerism since she was young, and that she plans to be a doctor. She has traveled to Europe and Asia for charity work.

"I was able to clean the Black Forest, pick up trash off of the beaches, visit local schools and villages, spend invaluable time with the natives and so much more," Szpakowski told lehighvalleylive.com last year. "I got to experience culture in its purest form and see how different, yet similar humanity truly is."

HOW TO HELP

Szpakowski is collecting used and unwanted eyeglasses, sports glasses, children's glasses, empty frames and eyeglass cases. Prescription glasses and sunglasses are accepted.

Collection sites are set up at:

  • St. James' Episcopal Church, Hackettstown.
  • Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Great Meadows.
  • Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Hackettstown. 
  • St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Budd Lake. 
  • St. Hedwig's Church, Elizabeth.
  • Trinity United Methodist Church, Hackettstown.
  • The House of the Good Shepherd retirement community, Hackettstown. 
  • Colonial Manor Retirement and Assisted Living Residence at Panther Valley, Allamuchy Township.
  • Warren County Library (northeast branch), Independence Township.
  • Flex Fitness Gym, Allaumchy Township.
  • Hackettstown Regional Medical Center.

For more information or to arrange a pickup, contact Szpakowski at 908-914-1248 or m.szpakowski@comcast.net.

More information on New Eyes for the Needy can be found at www.new-eyes.org.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Would you spend hundreds to board your pet in a 'luxury resort'?

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This holiday, some furry companions may be treated better than you Watch video

After a few spirited minutes of trotting on a small treadmill designed for dogs, tail bopping around like a busy lambswool feather duster, a bright-eyed, snow-white pup gets a sweet reward in the form of a treat.

Then it's time for some rest ... and a bedtime story. 

But this dog, a 6-year-old American Eskimo named Angie, isn't ready for sleep and doesn't seem to care all that much about the woman sitting on the dog bed with a storybook. She barks loudly, seemingly more interested in any potential morsels still in the human's pocket.

Angie isn't at home, but she might as well be. On days when no one's in the house to take her out and give her attention, she spends most of her time here in Morristown at Morris Animal Inn, a sprawling space dedicated to pet care and one in New Jersey's expanding fleet of upscale pet boarding facilities.

Often called "pet resorts" or "hotels," these businesses, a far cry from the dull, sad kennel pens of yore, offer the usual grooming, training and daycare, but also sell pet owners on luxury suites, swimming pools, in-room TVs, massage and gourmet meals.

A family or pet owner who wants to keep their dog busy while they head off on a five-day vacation could spend upwards of $400 for a luxury suite at a pet resort, but at many such businesses, there is little in the way of a ceiling for what they could shell out for "extras," like bonus playtime ($42 at one resort) or a turn on the canine treadmill ($19.95 per session at the inn).

While some may scoff at the notion of luxury experiences for animals, pet owners who have the money to do so will board their dogs or cats at these high-end facilities when they're away for weekends, holidays and vacations. And for dogs like Angie, boarding can be a daily affair. Some say these upscale pet escapes are less about boarding pets than pampering them, which may help assuage any guilt owners may feel for leaving their companions behind.

Paying a premium for pet care 

The American Pet Products Association estimates that in 2016, people in the United States will spend more than $62 billion on pets, with pet services, including grooming and boarding, accounting for $5.4 billion.

After 48 years in business, Morris Animal Inn, which can house up to 250 dogs and 50 cats, was rebranded as a luxury pet resort in 2008. Amenities include special daycare for puppies, a fitness program and turkey on Thanksgiving. Lodging rates run from $44.95 to $62.95 per day for dogs and $35.95 to $57.95 for cats. Premium dog activity and fitness packages that include bedtime tuck-ins, group play and swimming can cost up to $99.95 per day.

Of course, there are a-la-carte options, too. In a cat playroom, staff ploy Vigo, a 5-year-old American shorthair, with a tablet computer on which a digital mouse runs around the screen ($12.95). Cat owners can also get a "painting" of paw movements to take home and display on the refrigerator, like a children's art project ($15.95), or have their beloved furball wheeled outside in covered strollers ($21.95).  

"At the end of the day we want them to go home tired and happy," says Debora Montgomery, marketing manager at the inn.

morris-animal-inn.jpgA cat guest relaxes in a private suite at Morris Animal Inn. (Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Sound like too much? For the inn's staff and clientele, all the fuss is warranted. 

"Ethically and emotionally, you want to make sure that people are caring for your pets as if they were their own," says Abigail Stuttard, manager of daycare and training.

Tracey Jennings of Basking Ridge boards her dog Tallulah, a 4-year-old pug "diva," and her cat Jolie, 16-year-old American shorthair, at the inn.

"I have great faith in knowing that they're just going to be fawned over, well taken care of," she says. Tallulah can eat snacks like yogurt with pumpkin and banana chips and Jolie can munch salmon consomme and tuna tartar and watch a tiny TV screen that plays video of a squirrel. Jennings brushes aside criticism for such attention to detail as being over-the-top. 

Denise Hancock of Morristown, who calls herself "the craziest mom dog ever," boards her dog Mickey, 15, a smooth fox terrier, at the facility.

"To look at him you'd never known he's 15 and I'm absolutely certain it's because he spends time there getting socialized," she says. Since Mickey is a picky eater, he can get hand fed. Hancock buys him the "prince package," which, at $49.95 per day, includes two "pampered pet" sessions (private playtime, pool wading, petting and TLC), two "business" walks and a luxury suite with raised bed and blanket.

"They do all that stuff and they do it without a hint of irony," Hancock says. "They spoil him as badly as I do." 

Pets as family 

We've long seen the impact of the humanization of household pets -- the reason why people buy dogs clothes and keep pet photos handy to show friends and strangers, like people once only did with their children. But Hancock can lavish attention (and spend more money) on Mickey, in part because she doesn't have children, a fact that speaks to a larger trend in American demographics, says Hal Herzog, an expert in human-animal relations and psychology professor emeritus at Western Carolina University.

camp-bow-wow-nj.jpgCamp Bow Wow, a dog boarding and daycare facility franchise that has eight locations in New Jersey, offers luxury suites and other amenities like webcams from which owners can monitor their pets throughout the day. (Camp Bow Wow)
 

Though the group with the highest rates of pet ownership tend to be people with children at home, they aren't the ones who are most attached to their pets, Herzog says -- leave that to those don't have children. 

"These are people that are really deeply attached to their pets but really don't have kids at home so they're probably traveling more," Herzog says. Pair that with an increase in anthropomorphism and you get things like duck confit cat food and bedtime stories for dogs, he says. 

Yet Morris Animal Inn isn't the only facility to approach cats this way, too. Janry Pet Resort in Stewartsville in Greenwich Township, feline luxury suites have four-level staircases, memory foam mattresses, little four-poster beds and a screen that plays DVDs of swimming fish. 

"If they touch it with their paw, it'll change to a different station," says owner Jane Dancosse, who opened the boarding facility in 1982 and changed it to a "resort" in 2010 after a compete remodel including imported porcelain tile and glass doors.  

k9-resorts-nj.jpgInside K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel in Fanwood, which was modeled after the look of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The first shift was from "kennel" to "boarding," then from "boarding" to "hotel" or "resort," says Carmen Rustenbeck, CEO of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association in Colorado Springs, a trade association for the pet care industry. While pet hotels in the Midwest might not always have the amenities of a New York City business, modernization -- a departure from "the old wire cage look" -- is now often the norm even at traditional boarding operations, she says. 

"As the consumer pushes for that in their area, then the facilities respond," Rustenbeck says.

At Camp Bow Wow in Bridgewater, part of a national franchise with eight locations in New Jersey, suites embrace a rustic log cabin motif. Helicopter pet parents, who put down $48 per night, are often "addicted" to live webcam feeds of their dogs, which they often monitor on their phones, says co-owner Randy DeFazio.

While some may see high-end boarding as the domain of the wealthy, DeFazio says that's also changing. 

"Now people are just budgeting," she says. "It's part and parcel with dog food and grooming."

Amenities at Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel in Millstone ($53 to $85 per night) include doggie massages that cost $1.10 per minute. Owner Donna Leibowitz says the approach is a function of changing attitudes toward dogs. 

"Back in the day you used to just tie your dog up outside," she says. "Now it's inhumane."  

k9-resorts-daycare-and-luxury-hotel-nj.jpgSteven Parker, co-founder and CEO of K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel in Fanwood, with his Rottweiler, Enzo, who stays in a group play area while he works. (Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
 

Wrought iron Italianate doors open up to a chic lobby and hall designed to resemble Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The air is heavily perfumed to obscure any dog smell (luxe packages are $55 to $81 per night). It's a "Real Housewives of New Jersey" kind of dog hotel -- or, as owners Steven and Jason Parker say, "the Peter Luger Steak House" of dog boarding facilities.

In 2011, they franchised the business and now have five facilities in northern and central New Jersey, another opening in Mercer County in February, one in Horsham, Pa. and more coming in California. 

The Parkers say Manhattan high rollers have sent dogs to the hotel by chauffeur. A customer with an unlimited budget for upgrades could spend as much as $1,500 for a two-week stay. Whatever the request, they're game. 

"They'll be in Hawaii and they'll want to FaceTime the dogs," Steve Parker says.

The ultimate endorsement? One customer's dog ran away from home. Turns out he wanted to come back and see his friends at daycare. 

 

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

 

Have you seen her? Cops seek alleged armed robbery accomplice

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The suspect allegedly befriended her victims so her boyfriend could rob them, police said.

woman.jpegKayla Rodriguez (Courtesy photo) 

Hackettstown police are searching for a co-conspirator they said helped her boyfriend rob victims by befriending them and then, taking their money.

Police are on the hunt for Kayla Rodriguez, 20, whose last known address was in the 700 block of Herbert Street in Building No, 23, Scranton, Lackawanna County. She is described as white, 5 feet, 7 inches and having brown eyes and brown hair.

Rodriguez at 11:05 p.m. June 27 allegedly called a male victim for help with car trouble in a municipal parking lot. As the victim opened the hood to check the engine, Rodriguez's boyfriend, 20-year-old Franklin L Williams Jr. of Wilkes-Barre, approached him with a gun, police said.

Williams put the gun to the victim's back and demanded cash and his cellphone, according to police. He also demanded the victim get into the car, but the male was able to run from the scene, police said.

Williams made off with the cellphone, valued at $250, and $800 in cash, according to police.

At 10:30 p.m. June 19, the pair are accused of committing a similar crime.

Police said Rodriguez in that incident forged a relationship with another male and entered his home in the 200 block of Sharp Street with an intent to rob him. Rodriguez scoped out the scene and alerted Williams to enter, police said.

Williams barged into the house, pushed the victim to the ground and punched the victim in the face, according to police. Williams then allegedly demanded money and made off with undetermined amount of cash from the victim, police said.

In the June 19 crime, Williams is charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and aggravated assault. In the June 27 crime, Williams is charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted kidnapping, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun.

Williams was arrested Wednesday and released due to being under 24-hour medical care. A court date is pending.

Rodriguez is charged in the June 19 crime with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. She is charged in June 27 crime with robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Rodriguez remains on the lam and bail is set at $250,000. Police obtained arrest warrants for the pair on Nov. 14, Sergeant Darren Tynan said.

Those with information on Rodriguez's whereabout are urged to call the Hackettstown Police Department at (908) 852-3300.

Assisting the Hackettstown Detective Bureau in the case is the Warren County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey State Police, Scranton Police Department and Wilkes-Barre City Police Department.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

QUIZ: Who said what in this week's news?

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NJ.com's local news quiz is focussing on quotes for the first time. See if you remember who said what in our biggest news stories of the week.

Big twist in this week's local news quiz. We've plucked quotes from our biggest stories of the past week and built the questions around those quotes. Your job is to ID who said each quote, or tell us what topic the quote is about. Got it? Some NJ.com readers may think this focus on quotes is "fascinating" or "challenging". Others will probably decide it's "dumb" or "forced". Either way, once you're done, brag on your score in comments.

John Shabe can be reached via jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow John on Twitter, and find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

This tree farmer found a lost wedding ring -- help him identify the owner

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A Christmas tree farmer in Warren County wants to get this wedding ring back to its owner. Watch video

John Wyckoff often stumbles upon lost items at his White Township tree farm -- usually things like gloves, sunglasses, keys, and children's toys. But one morning in April, he found something he'd never before encountered.

As another worker drove a tractor across a field on the 65-acre farm, Wyckoff rode in the back sticking trees into the ground. But as they passed one spot, something caught Wyckoff's eye. He called for his employee to stop the tractor.

"I just caught a glimpse of something," he said. "I wasn't sure what it was."

He reached down, took a handful of soil and sifted through it.

"Lo and behold, it was a wedding band," he said.

At this N.J. farm, Christmas trees come in pink, purple and blue (VIDEO)

Now, Wyckoff is hoping to find the ring's owner before Christmas. The ring has a distinctive pattern on the outside and an inscription on the inside, revealing the wedding date and that the ring was given to a husband by his wife.

"To David. Love, Nancy," it reads. But Wyckoff is withholding the wedding date to guard against any deception. He said he plans to request a wedding certificate to prove the authenticity of any claims.

"I'm not just going to give it to anybody," Wyckoff said.

Wyckoff regularly gets calls about lost items that have tumbled out of pockets or slipped from children's fingers into his soil. About once a year, a wedding ring will come up -- customers will often remove their bands before starting to saw. But on the vast property the chances that he'll find something specific -- especially the size of ring -- are diminutive.

With his rare luck, Wyckoff wanted to reunite his find with its owner. But the farm keeps him busy, and he wasn't sure how to get the word out. The ring, cleaned off, has remained on his window sill for the last several months waiting for a call.

So if you happen to know a David married to a Nancy, who has visited Wyckoff's Christmas Tree Farm, get in touch. Send any information to trees@wyckoffs.com.

Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.

Woman wanted on drug charges is Fugitive of the Week

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Kimberly J. Guarriello, 48, of Belvidere, has been named Hunterdon County Fugitive of the Week by the prosecutor's office.

Update: Kimberly J. Guarriello turned herself in to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office on Dec. 2, 2016.

FLEMINGTON - Kimberly J. Guarriello, 48, of Belvidere, has been named Hunterdon County Fugitive of the Week by the prosecutor's office.

Hunterdon County fugitive of the week Kimberly GuarrielloKimberly J. Guarriello

Guarriello, who is 5-feet, 3-inches tall and weighs 155 pounds, was charged with narcotics crimes in Hunterdon County. An arrest warrant was issued on Nov. 18.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Mike Nugent, Detective Sgt. Ed DeFilippis, Detective Frank Modaffare or Detective Lamont Garnes of The Joint Hunterdon County Fugitive Task Force at 908-788-1129, or the local police department.

Information can also be left at online at Crime Stoppers of Hunterdon County.

Report a tip in four ways for cash rewards:

  • call the tip line at 800-321-0010 (The line has no recording device)
  • text HCTIPS plus your tip to: 274637 (CRIMES)
  • submit online at www.crimestoppershunterdon.com by clicking on the Submit link to fill out the online form (form also in Espanol)
  • download free app "Tipsubmit" by Public Engines; select Hunterdon County, submit your tip.
 

Warren County authorities seek Kayla Rodriguez - fugitive of the week

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The 20-year-old is wanted on a charge of robbery, according to the Warren County Prosecutor's Office.

Kayla C. Rodriguez, 20, is wanted on a robbery charge under a warrant dated Nov. 14, 2016, according to the Warren County Prosecutor's Office.

Rodriguez, whose last-known address was in the 700 block of Herbert Street in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 145 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Have you seen her? Cops seek robbery suspect

The prosecutor's office asks anyone with information about Rodriguez to contact investigators via a tip line at 908-475-6643, the fugitive unit at 908-475-6272 or via fugitive@co.warren.nj.us.

2,800 cookies made for troops in an N.J. home's growing tradition

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It's 'a piece of home' for the holidays, says the Hackettstown grandmother who started it.

Santina Flynn baked a few thousand cookies last weekend, with some help.

Her Hackettstown house became a care package assembly line as 2,803 cookies were boxed with seasonal decorations and child-made cards, destined for soldiers and Marines away from home for the holidays.

The treats provide them "a little piece of home," Flynn said a few days after the Cookies for the Troops bake-off -- which has become a Saturday-after-Thanksgiving tradition, one that started when Flynn's son, Justin, joined the Marine Corps nine years ago.

Through him, Flynn said she learned that some in the military didn't get any mail around the holidays. "It broke my heart," she said.

The first year Flynn and a handful of other women made between 400 and 500 cookies, she said. Since then, word has spread and the operation has grown to some 20 people, including Flynn's grandchildren, filling the house and working in shifts to make sure every aspect from mixing to boxing is covered.

By when should you send Christmas cards?

She started a Facebook page to solicit cards and other trinkets to include in the packages and donations to send them, which Flynn said can cost up to $50 a parcel depending where they're being shipped.

Each package is sent to an individual service member, stocked with 10 to 12 dozen cookies -- in 15 varieties -- to share with their comrades. Also in the box: some tinsel, cards, magazines and a Santa hat for the recipient to hand out the goodies.

Flynn and another participant, Jaclyne Franciscone, estimated that between 250 and 300 servicemen get a piece of the treats.

Two years ago, Flynn said a soldier sent back a necklace with her initials and a note.

"'You have no idea what you did for the morale of my squad,'" Flynn recalled it saying. "That's why I do it, right there."

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Man arrested in early-morning Phillipsburg police raid

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The man was also reportedly wanted in Easton.

Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team just after 6 a.m. Saturday arrested a man in a raid at 15 Reese Court.

It wasn't immediately clear what charges the man -- who was dressed in blue jeans, a light-colored T-shirt and dark shoes -- faces. He did not appear to resist as he was removed in handcuffs from the end row home, which had a small Christmas light display in the tiny front yard on the out-of-the-way street off South Main.

MORE: Worker allegedly forged pastor's name

A neighbor watched the arrest from a second-floor window.

A town police dog was taken into the house after the arrest.

While police have yet to release a name, dispatches indicated the 19-year-old was also wanted on a bench warrant out of Northampton County related to Easton drug charges.

Town police didn't immediately respond to a request for more information.

Freelance photographer Tim Wynkoop provided information for this post.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Hunters, protesters gear up for firearm season of 2016 N.J. bear hunt

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The second half of the 2016 bear hunt will begin on Monday.

 

FREDON -- New Jersey's bear hunt season will resume just before sunrise Monday, setting in motion a familiar, emotionally-charged ritual pitting protesters against participants.

A total of 562 bears were killed during the first stage of the hunt in October, which took place in eight northern counties and lasted for six days. More than half, 296, were killed in Sussex County.

It was the first time, since the hunt resumed annually in 2010, that the bear hunt was extended beyond December.

The tally was high enough that the Department of Environmental Protection is anticipating an early end to next week's hunt, currently scheduled for six days and concluding Saturday, Dec. 10.

As in prior hunts, protesters are planning to gather Monday morning in Fredon outside the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area, one of DEP's five check stations where hunters log in dead bears.

Around that time, Ray Szpond said he will be hunting in the woods in Vernon.

Szpond, president of the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, said he used a bow and arrow to kill a 127-pound female bear during the October hunt.

Szpond said bear hunting is justified by safety concerns and cited the fatal mauling, in 2014, of a 22-year-old Rutgers University student while hiking in West Milford.

"We have far too many bears in the state of New Jersey. The only way to control them is through controlled hunting," said Szpond, a Scotch Plains resident.

Elaine Dunn, a bear hunt opponent from Bloomingdale, disagreed and called it a "trophy hunt for rugs and heads."

"Even though they'll say it's for our protection, that's a crock," Dunn said, charging that using bait as a hunting aid, while legal, is creating a safety hazard.

Dunn said a second protest in Fredon is being planned on the hunt's sixth day, though by that point DEP could have closed down the hunt.

The DEP has set a threshold for the bear hunt based on the total number of bears tagged by state wildlife officials in the current year of 30 percent of the 197 bear tagged in 2016. Of that, a total of 46 were killed in the October hunt, representing 23.4 percent.

Another 14 would meet the 30-percent threshold, DEP spokesman Bob Considine said.

Any shutdown, though, would not happen immediately. It would take effect 24 hours after the closing time on the date the 30 percent mark is certified by DEP.

The weigh stations will be open from noon to 7 p.m.

New Jersey Fish and Game Council member Phil Brodhecker, asked about the likely duration, said, "We're expecting at least two to three days."

Brodhecker lives in a farm in Hampton and said he is not taking part in the hunt.

A farmer from Hampton, Brodhecker said he is a hunter, but did not seek a permit for the 2016 hunt.

Three protesters arrested for acts of civil disobedience during the October hunt are due to appear Dec. 8 in municipal court in Andover Township.

Next week's hunt will be playing out in the aftermath of what remains, to some, a still-fresh wound -- the presumed killing during the October hunt of a bear nicknamed "Pedals" for walking on its hind legs, as widely seen in videos on YouTube.

Dunn described Pedals as "a bear that wouldn't harm anybody, just barely surviving," and alluded to speculation that the bipedal bear had been targeted.

Szpond said the controversy surrounding Pedals' apparent demise was misplaced.

"Bears are not friendly creatures. Just because you give a bear a name, doesn't make it a mascot," Szpond said.

State Sen. Ray Lesniak, a Democrat from Union County, named his bill seeking a five-year moratorium on the bear hunt after Pedals. The proposal would also prohibit baiting as a hunting aid and promote non-lethal alternatives to hunting, such as securing garbage.

It gained approval from the Senate economic growth committee, soon after the hunt ended, but a vote by the full Senate has not been scheduled.

Lesniak sent a letter Nov. 18 to David Chanda, director of DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, asking him to call off next month's hunt.

In it, Lesniak criticized the extension of the bear hunt, addition of hunting regions and the introduction of bows and arrows for the October hunt.

"The combination of all these changes is a recipe for overkill, poor wildlife management and bad public policy," wrote Lesniak.

He described the hunt as "nothing more than a state-sponsored black bear extermination plan."

Asked for a response, Considine said DEP's bear management policy includes a variety of non-lethal methods, such as raising awareness about coexisting wth bears and securing garbage.

"A controlled bear hunt is also needed as part of that policy because the northern part of New Jersey has one of the highest density rates of black bear in the country, based on high reproductive rates and lower mortality rates," Considine said in an email.

In addition to Sussex County, the hunt will take place in Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Warren counties.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Quick-acting police put out fire, save home from ruin

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Pohatcong Township police are credited with saving the home, where a chimney fire broke through a wall and caused damage.

fire.jpegThe fire broke out Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 in the first block of Pinchers Point Road in Pohatcong Township. Police describe the area as heavily wooded and elevated with high winds. (Courtesy photo)

A chimney fire that broke through a wall Saturday evening was knocked down by a trio of Pohatcong Township police officers -- the first crew to arrive at the scene.

The fire broke out about 4:30 p.m. in the first block of Pinchers Point Road. The home is within a heavily wooded, elevated area with high winds, police said.

The homeowner's son and a female friend who were home when the fire began escaped safely.

Officer Bobby Paulus arrived first at the scene, along with Officers Sierra DiMaio and James Heebner, a former fire chief in Alpha.

Fire Chief Dave Cupon was the lone firefighter and drove the truck himself up the mountain to the home, Paulus said.

Cupon threw out the hose to the officers, who worked to knock down the blaze.

Police had the flames under control within about 20 minutes, Paulus said. By the time other fire units arrived, the flames were knocked down, he said.

"The homeowner said, 'This gave new meaning to first responders,' "Paulus said. "But you do what you have to do. The winds are so high up there, the house wouldn't have stood a chance."

Fire torches Slate Belt apartment building (PHOTOS)

Paulus said a fear was having the Polar Express attraction at the Delaware River Railroad in Phillipsburg run on tracks near the site. Police alerted Delaware River Railroad representatives to delay the ride until the fire was put out.

The house has since been deemed uninhabitable by fire officials, but not a total loss, Paulus said. If police didn't rush to the scene, Paulus said there was no doubt the house would have become fully engulfed.

"The dramatic part of it is what this house once was, you would have never seen it," Paulus said if officers didn't work quickly. "This whole house would have went up. They were very lucky."

Mayor James Kern echoed Paulus, saying of the agencies involved, "Their speed prevented this from being a far worse incident."

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Plans for Phillipsburg's riverfront continue with OK of 400+ homes

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The major project is part of broader plans for the town's Delaware River shores.

Plans continue to develop for the future of Phillipsburg's riverfront.

Town officials recently approved nearly 450 new homes -- a mixture of townhouses and apartments -- for the long-discussed Riverview at Delaware Station development, part of a broader ongoing effort to build up the town's Delaware River shores.

Mayor Stephen Ellis has called redeveloping Union Square, the area at the New Jersey end of the Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge, his top priority. The town has surveyed residents about what they would like to see, and there has been talk of making it a destination akin to San Antonio's Riverwalk.

Most recently, on Nov. 28, the town land use board gave the nod to the Riverview development, proposed by Bethlehem-based developer and Phillipsburg native Michael Perrucci's Peron Construction.

The proposal replaces a plan for stacked townhouses that was approved in 2006 with a mix of 136 three-bedroom townhomes and 312 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The development along Howard Street, expected to house 955 people, will be accessed off Stockton and McKeen streets, and will include a recreation center and in-ground pool.

The average asking price for a three-bedroom townhouse is projected to be $220,000, according to prior planning board documents.

A river-spanning rail trail? That's the plan

Town engineer Stan Schrek said the development of an on-site promenade will provide a key link in Phillipsburg's trail system, calling the project "very, very important to the town," according to a report from WFMZ.

In 2014, the project was granted a 30-year tax break by the town, allowing Peron to pay an annual service charge in place of property taxes. Phillipsburg will collect $1.7 million in annual service charges, according to projections at the time.

Residents have previously expressed concerns about impact on schools and traffic.

As for other developments along the river, the mayor on Facebook laid out a rough procedure. A plan for the Union Square area is being developed and will go to the land use board and town council for approval. The town should be in a position to accept work proposals by late spring or summer, he said.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

N.J. pets in need: Dec. 5, 2016

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Dogs and cats throughout the state need homes.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey.

If a nonprofit rescue group or animal shelter in any of the following counties wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922:

* Bergen County     * Burlington County

* Essex County     * Hudson County

* Hunterdon County     * Mercer County

* Middlesex County     * Monmouth County

* Morris County     * Ocean County

* Passaic County     * Somerset County

* Sussex County     * Union County

* Warren County

More pets in need of adoption can be seen here and here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.


Cross-Country: NJ.com's post-season boys and girls honors for 2016

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Amazing time-lapse images from space show N.J. changing over the decades

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A compilation of satellite images from Google gives us a new perspective on how the Garden State has evolved over the last three decades.

Parts of N.J. may get 'burst of snow' on Tuesday

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Some roads could get slick as a new storm system brings rain, snow or mixed precipitation to the Garden State.

New Jersey drivers could face slick road conditions late Tuesday afternoon as a storm system moving in from the South delivers a batch of rain, snow or mixed precipitation to parts of the region, forecasters said.

The storm -- unrelated to the system that coated the ground with snow in sections of Morris and Sussex counties Monday morning -- is expected to start out as rain in all areas of New Jersey Tuesday afternoon, said Larry Nierenberg, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's regional forecast office in Mount Holly.

The forecast, however, will get tricky Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning as temperatures start dropping into the lower 30s in parts of Morris, Sussex and Warren counties. In those places, as well as spots in the Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania, rain could turn to snow, Nierenberg said.

How much snow will fall depends on how quickly the temperatures drop, but the weather service notes in its latest forecast discussion that "a quick  burst of snow" could produce accumulations of 1 to 3 inches in Carbon and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and also in Sussex County in New Jersey.

Accumulations in other parts of New Jersey, such as hillier sections of Morris, Warren and Hunterdon counties, will also depend on how low the temperature gets Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, Nierenberg said.

snow projections Dec 6-7 - NWS.png 

By Wednesday afternoon, all the precipitation should be over, but skies are expected to remain cloudy, with temperatures in the 40s across the state. Later this week, a blast of cold air will work its way into our region, keeping daytime temperatures stuck in the 30s in North Jersey and in the upper 30s to low 40s in South Jersey. 

Forecasters said morning lows could drop into the 20s, and wind chills could make it feel as cold as the teens, even in South Jersey.

Monday's morning snow

On Monday morning, New Jersey got brushed by a storm system that brought light rain and light snow to the Garden State. According to unofficial measurements by the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, 1.6 inches of snow fell in Jefferson in Morris County, 1.5 inches of snow fell in Randolph and Rockaway in Morris, and 1.4 inches fell in Mine Hill in Morris and Wantage in Sussex County.

Holland Township in Hunterdon received 1.3 inches, and Oakland in Bergen County got 1.2 inches, the same amount as Hardyston in Sussex, CoCoRaHS reported.

Among the towns that got 1.0 or 1.1 inches were Denville, Hanover, Rockaway Township, Roxbury and Washington Township in Morris, Andover and Vernon in Sussex, and Califon, Glen Gardner and Lebanon in Hunterdon.

Although the snow was light, it prompted delayed openings at some schools in the region.

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Cops: Teen had shotgun, heroin in Phillipsburg raid

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Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team raided the home early Saturday.

A Phillipsburg teen had a shotgun, heroin and marijuana during an early morning raid Saturday in the first block of Reese Court, police said.

Charged is Evan Siemasko, 19, who also previously lived in Allentown.

Phillipsburg police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team just after 6 a.m. entered the home with a search warrant and arrested Siemasko. He did not appear to resist as he was removed in handcuffs from the end row home, which had a small Christmas light display in the tiny front yard on the out-of-the-way street off South Main.

Police were searching for Siemasko. He had a bench warrant out of Northampton County related to Easton drug charges this past spring.

Siemasko, who then lived in the 100 block of North Fourth Street in Allentown, was pulled over at 11 p.m. June 13 driving a 2002 Hyundai Sonata in the 100 block of South 14th Street in Easton.

An officer detected a strong odor of marijuana during the stop, city police previously said. Siemasko and his passenger said they previously smoked a blunt in the car, according to police.

Officers found a small amount of marijuana residue in the car, as well as a loaded.22-caliber gun, police said. Neither man had a valid conceal-carry license.

Investigators on June 14 obtained a search warrant for the car. Marijuana, a digital scale and clonazepam (brand name Klonopin), amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, Alprazolam (brand name Xanax) and mollies (known as ecstasy) pills were recovered, police had said.

Siemasko was charged in the June case with four counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, DUI involving a controlled substance and a firearms violation. All charges filed at that point were held in a July preliminary hearing in Northampton County Court.

More charges -- the third and fourth possession with intent counts -- were added during a Sept. 29 formal arraignment in county court, in which Siemasko did not attend, court papers say.

Man arrested in early-morning Phillipsburg police raid

Siemasko then violated conditions of his 10 percent of $5,000 bail, court records show. It was posted twice, revoked three times and increased to 10 percent of $10,000, eventually resulting in a Northampton County Court bench warrant on Sept. 29 for his arrest, court papers say.

Criminal court was canceled Oct. 10 and then rescheduled 9 a.m. Monday, but that appearance too was canceled, records show.

In Saturday's case, Siemasko is charged with third-degree heroin possession, fourth-degree unlawful distribution of marijuana and second-degree unlawful possession of a shotgun while distributing a controlled dangerous substance.

Siemasko was sent to Warren County jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. He remained there Monday.

Reporter Tony Rhodin contributed to this report.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Sluggish start to firearm season for 2016 N.J. bear hunt

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The first section of the hunt, involving bow and arrows and muzzleloaders, took place in October.

FREDON -- The second and final stage of New Jersey's 2016 bear hunt got off to a slow start Monday.

Two months after 562 bears were killed over six days, the state's five weigh stations were reporting very little activity, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Robert Geist said.

At the Whittingham Wildlife Management Area, where Geist was based, only three hunters had arrived with dead bears as of 2:30 p.m., under the watch of about two dozen protesters based across the street.

Asked about the hunt, Alison Long of Sussex Borough said, "I'm hoping that it stops."

"They deserve to live in peace," she said of bears.

At least nine state police and conservation officers were present but there were no arrests. That was in contrast with the opening day of the October hunt in which three demonstrators were charged with disorderly conduct and other offenses after allegedly straying beyond the area reserved for demonstrators.

Geist said that on that day, Oct. 10, he recalled a line of cars leading up to the scales in Fredon. The five check stations collectively registered 206 bears.

Geist, while stating he would not receive an official tally until the evening, said all indications were that Monday's count would be far short of Oct. 10.

"I'm probably at the most active area," Geist said, adding, "Everyone is telling me that we're slow across the spectrum."

Geist speculated that colder weather prompting additional bears into hibernation was a factor, in addition to the reduction stemming from the October hunt.

Monday's pace also increased the likelihood that the hunt's second stage will continue through Saturday.

Under the rules of the hunt, DEP is to order an early end if the cumulative percentage of "tagged," or previously recorded, bears reaches 30 percent of that population.

With 46 of the 197 bears that were tagged in 2016 killed in October, another 14 would trigger the 30 percent threshold.

In prior years, the bear season was limited to December.

None of the three bears brought to Fredon by 2:30 p.m., including a 565-pound male, were tagged, Geist said.

Monday's slow start was little solace to the protesters.

They held signs and chanted in unison, "Stop the killing, stop the injustice," at one point jeering a hunter, Nick Bockbrader of Allamuchy, who was accompanied by his children when he arrived around 1:30 p.m. with a 565-pound male bear.

Bockbrader was the third hunter at the station. The first two brought in an 85-pound male and 44-pound female and neither gave their names.

All three exited without further commenting.

Geist said the hunt is only one aspect of a bear management plan in New Jersey. He said it also includes educating residents of bear country about the importance of securing their garbage.

"Obviously, the harvest in something people differ on," he said, using the word DEP typically substitutes for hunting.

Valerie Devine of Parsippany, a protester, said she has been protesting the bear hunt ever year since 2010, when the annual season resumed under Gov. Chris Christie.

"My big thing is, what did the bear do to you," she said in explaining her attitude toward hunters.

Jerome Mandel of Newton had attached a black ribbon to his clothing.

Mandel said it represented "the bears who have lost their lives, approximately 3,000, under this governor."

The first hunter arrived just after 10 a.m. Monday. He said he shot the bear at 7:50 a.m, but declined to say where he shot it, other than it happened in Sussex County.

Sussex is one of eight counties where the hunt is taking place. More than half of the bears killed in the October hunt were in Sussex.

In addition to Sussex, the bear hunt is taking part in Warren, Morris, Bergen, Hunterton, Mercer, Passaic and Somerset counties.

Diane Milleson of Middletown said she drove about 90 minutes to reach the demonstration.

She was holding a sign reading, "RIP Pedals," in a reference to the famed bipedal bear believed to have been killed in the October hunt.

"I'm here for him, and the cubs, and their mothers," she said.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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