Podcasts about nj department

I have been using CoGrader and was thrilled to have the chance to talk with Gil and learn more about the story behind the beginning of CoGrader and the work being done by the team. I hope you enjoy listening, and then check out CoGrader! CoGrader Team Bio CoGrader is led by founders Gil Quadros Flores, Gabriel Adamante, and Vitor Barbosa, who bring a rich blend of educational and technical expertise. Gil and Gabriel, both with personal ties to education, founded CoGrader to alleviate the heavy grading workload faced by teachers. Gabriel, a former English teacher, and Gil, who comes from a family of educators, experienced firsthand the challenges teachers face. They joined forces with Vitor, who has over a decade of experience in AI and ML, to create CoGrader's advanced AI-driven grading platform. The team has a proven track record of building successful businesses, having scaled and exited multiple ventures across the US, Europe, and Latin America. This collective experience, combined with their commitment to equitable education, has helped CoGrader achieve rapid growth. With endorsements from advisors like Pete, former deputy commissioner of NJ Department of Education, former educators and support from impact investors including UC Berkeley. CoGrader is revolutionizing the grading process and helping over 1,000,000 global learners success. Follow Gil on LinkedIn CoGrader on X CoGrader site CoGrader Certifications CoGrader PD

In episode 211 of America Adapts,  Doug Parsons attended the 2024 New Jersey Coastal and Climate Resilience Conference at Monmouth University in New Jersey. In this episode, we'll be engaging with New Jersey's top experts and leaders to discuss the current state of coastal science and research, climate resilience, and ecological restoration.  We'll explore how peer-to-peer learning and community engagement are driving successful projects—from municipal resilience plans to floodplain buyouts—and share insights into what it takes to secure community buy-in for impactful initiatives. You learn about the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Group Collective and the power of multisector partnerships. Plus, we'll touch on the networking opportunities that this conference provided, helping to build relationships and foster collaborations essential for advancing coastal and climate resilience efforts. We'll also hear how the state of New Jersey is developing innovative adaptation regulations for coastal protection. This episode has a great mix of conference attendees doing some exciting work in adaptation in the Garden State! https://www.americaadapts.org/episodes/new-jersey-coastal-and-climate-resilience-conference Experts in this Episode: ·         Nick Angarone – Chief Resilience Officer New Jersey Dept of Environmental Protection. ·         Shawn LaTourette – Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. ·         Terry Doss – Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute ·         Tony MacDonald - Director of Urban Coast Institute ·         Elizabeth Semple – Climate Resilience Manager, The Nature Conservancy – New Jersey ·         Dr. Nick Brown – Climate Scientist and Advocate, HDR ·         Nathaly Agosto Filion - Climate Resilience, Environmental Justice & Urban Sustainability, NJ Department of Environmental Protection ·         Dr. AR Siders – Asst. Professor, University of Delaware ·         Dr. Tom Herrington – Associate Director of Urban Coast Institute ·         Laura Kerr - Senior Research Engineer NJ Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Specialist ·         Dr. John Miller - Research Associate Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology ·         Nora Morton – High School Student state of New Jersey ·         Monika Serrano – Resilience Program Manager, Turner Construction   Topics covered: ·         Managed Retreat in New Jersey ·         Urban Coastal Institute ·         Climate Change Communications ·         First hand experience with Hurricane Sandy ·         New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative Structure ·         Key Issues in Coastal Engineering and Resilience ·         Implementing Nature Based Solutions ·         Thinking Beyond Structural Solutions ·         Coastal Tourism and Resilience ·         Blue Acre Program and Climate Resilience Initiatives ·         Favorite naturals areas in New Jersey! Check out the America Adapts Media Kit here! Subscribe to the America Adapts newsletter here. Links in this episode: https://nj-crc.org/2024-conference Going Coastal Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-coastal/id1745764555 https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/   Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/ Donate to America Adapts Follow on Apple Podcasts Follow on Android Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here! Now on Spotify! List of Previous Guests on America Adapts Follow/listen to podcast on Apple Podcasts. Donate to America Adapts, we are now a tax deductible charitable organization! Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Strategies to Address Climate Change Risk in Low- and Moderate-income Communities - Volume 14, Issue 1 https://www.frbsf.org/community-development/publications/community-development-investment-review/2019/october/strategies-to-address-climate-change-low-moderate-income-communities/ The 10 Best Sustainability Podcasts for Environmental Business Leadershttps://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/10-best-sustainability-podcasts-environmental-business-leaders The best climate change podcasts on The Climate Advisorhttp://theclimateadvisor.com/the-best-climate-change-podcasts/ 7 podcasts to learn more about climate change and how to fight ithttps://kinder.world/articles/you/7-podcasts-to-learn-more-about-climate-change-and-how-to-fight-it-19813 Directions on how to listen to America Adapts on Amazon Alexahttps://youtu.be/949R8CRpUYU America Adapts also has its own app for your listening pleasure!  Just visit the App store on Apple or Google Play on Android and search “America Adapts.” Join the climate change adaptation movement by supporting America Adapts!  Please consider supporting this podcast by donating through America Adapts fiscal sponsor, the Social Good Fund. All donations are now tax deductible! For more information on this podcast, visit the website at http://www.americaadapts.org and don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.   Podcast Music produce by Richard Haitz Productions Write a review on Apple Podcasts ! America Adapts on Facebook!   Join the America Adapts Facebook Community Group. Check us out, we're also on YouTube! Executive Producer Dr. Jesse Keenan Subscribe to America Adapts on Apple Podcasts Doug can be contacted at americaadapts @ g mail . com

This series aims to demystify Medicaid, starting with insights from federal and state agencies, FQHCs, and managed care organizations, before exploring successful founders' strategies. It will start with a primer on the key players and innovations, evolving with new posts featuring interviews and insights. Read more about this series here. Today, we're excited to get to know Eliot Fishman, a director at CMMI who focuses on policy and programs that affect Medicaid beneficiaries. Eliot comes to us with a long history of impact in public health policy. Eliot started his career as a policy associate at Mt. Sinai Health System in NYC and then went on to Manatt, Phelps & Phelps. He transitioned into a management policy role on the provider side again at MJHS, a large health system in the New York Area before he left to join the government.  Eliot then served at NJ Department of Health and Senior Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for several years across different groups on Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP. Eliot also served in consulting roles at Health Management Associates and at nonprofits like Families USA. In this episode, we learn about payment models within CMMI that attempt to foster innovation in care delivery for Medicaid, program and payment integrity and value-based care models as well as how the Federal government collaborates with State governments to improve care delivery.

The impact of opioid addiction and overdoses continues to be felt in New Jersey and across the country. Since 2018, tens of thousands of New Jerseyans have experienced an overdose and more than 15,000 have died of a suspected drug-related death. To combat this epidemic, New Jersey has worked to increase harm reduction efforts throughout the state including expanding the availability of naloxone through statewide distribution days. In January 2023, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a program that allows anyone 14 years or older to acquire naloxone anonymously and at no cost at participating pharmacies across New Jersey. The NJ Department of Human Services partnered with the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy and its Medicaid division to craft and implement this unique program.

Tonight on NJ Spotlight News: Advocates meet with Governor Murphy to persuade him to veto a controversial bill that would overall the state's Open Public Records Act; NJ Spotlight News social justice writer Taylor Jung details a new state comptroller report that accuses NJ State Police of "seemingly turning a blind eye" to racial profiling; The Port Authority expects record levels of travel as New Jerseyans head out for Memorial Day weekend; Ocean Grove will open its beaches on Sunday mornings for the first time in more than a century after the organization that owns the beach is pressured by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection; NOAA lead hurricane seasonal forecaster Matt Rosencrans discusses the agency's outlook for hurricane season.

In the second hour, Brad Ferland talks with Walt Gladstone from Newmont Farm, who is a member of the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance. They discuss H.706, an act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.Then, Brad is joined by Charles Giblin, retired Special Agent in Charge of the New Jersey Department of the Treasury Office of Criminal Investigation. They discuss S.18, an act relating to banning flavored tobacco products and e-liquids.

Hayes v. NJ Department of Human Services

Jean Sachs, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, begins our new monthly series on breast cancer.  Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national resource center based in Philadelphia, that follows women – and men – through diagnosis and treatment options, through work, family relationships and the financial burden, and all the other aspects living with a chronic and life-threatening disease.   Jean discussed the first steps after the diagnosis, and the diagnosis process itself.   For many, like me, you learn of your breast cancer not from a caregiver, but through an online portal.  Jean explains the legal requirements placed on healthcrare providers to guarantee vital information is shared with the patient.  She spoke on the importance of choosing the right doctor and the advantages in access to new treatments and cliniccal trials that you get when you choose a provider that specializes in breast cancer.  We discussed sharing the news and how it can affect you and your friends and family.  Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers support to patients and caregivers.  It is a complete resource center from information about breast cancer and treatment, financial matters, to content on emotional health, family and personal relationships, wellness and body image, side effects and living with metastatic breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Helpline will match you with a trained volunteer who has a similar experience to you, whether that be diagnosis type, stage, age or concern.  In addition to listening to you and discussing your feelings and concerns, their volunteers can direct you to resources such as support groups, wigs, and financial help.  You can contact them online or by calling 888-753-5222. Find Living Beyond Breast Cancer online at lbbc.org NOTE:   Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey offers a FREE statewide program with the NJ Department of Health, ScreenNJ, which provides education, screening navigation, and clinical screening services available to all residents of New Jersey, regardless of their health insurance or immigration status.    Contact ScreenNJ patient navigators for free help scheduling your cancer screening regardless of your income or health insurance status. Transportation, food, or other barriers in the way? Navigators can help address those factors so that each person can get to their screening appointments.   Email patientnavigation@cinj.rutgers.edu or call (833) 727-3665. Learn more at https://screennj.org/  

Ariel J. Luna has been serving veterans in higher education and government for more than 18 years. Luna is originally from Brooklyn, New York and grew up in Starrett City section of East New York. AJ's mother is from the Dominican Republic and his father is from Argentina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the start of 2000 and he was stationed as a communication soldier in Fort Gordon, Georgia, South Korea, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After he left the Army in 2002, he joined the NY National Guard where he was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005. While serving in the National Guard, Luna was pursing his bachelor's degree at Brooklyn College. He completed his master's in administrative science with a concentration in Non-Profit Organizational Development, Human Resource Administration, and Global Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2012.After a successful tenure at FDU, Luna has recently appointed by Bergen County's new County Executive, James Tedesco III, as the new Director of Veteran Services for Bergen County. Luna plans to bring his experience and expertise to serve the 30,000 resident veterans of Bergen County. Luna focused his efforts on housing, employment opportunities, and good service referral providers. Luna also served as the Deputy Director for the Office of Government and Community Relations for the NJ Department of Transportation from 2021-2022. He is also one of the founders of the NJ SOS Veteran Stakeholders Group.  A Northern NJ non-profit that hosts quarterly county meetings throughout the Northern part of the State that gives organizations an opportunity to network and refer veterans to various services in the community.  He assists in putting together Suicide Awareness Seminars to educate the community about resources available to veterans in crisis.  There have been successful events in Elmwood Park, Newark, and Trenton.  He is married to his wife, Shevonne Murray-Luna, and has 2 beautiful daughters, Mariah Angel Luna, 10, and AJ Luna, 7. Find The AJ LunaCatholic Charities NJ SOS VetsNJ SOS on FacebookFind The Suffering PodcastThe Suffering Podcast InstagramKevin Donaldson InstagramMike Failace InstagramBuzzsproutApple PodcastSpotifyFacebookTikTokYouTubeMake your brain your friend with Better Help. Go to BetterHelp.Com/Suffering for 10% off your first monthSupport the showThe Suffering Podcast Instagram Kevin Donaldson Instagram TikTok YouTube

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: Fredrick K. Short Jr.—the father of three Cherry Hill high school students—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Education for its policy which allows schools to hide alterations to a student's gender identification from parents. Attorney Thomas Stavola Jr.—Short's pro bono attorney—believes that the school has infringed upon parental rights and is violative of the Fourteenth Amendment. You can read more about the lawsuit here: https://www.nj.com/education/2023/10/dad-sues-nj-school-district-and-state-over-policy-for-trans-students.html On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Phillies travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS). The Phillies currently lead 2-0 in the best of seven series.

Steve Adubato is joined by a group of mental health leaders and advocates to address the nation's youth mental health crisis. Panelists include:Dianne Grossman, Co-Founder, Mallory's ArmySteve Margeotes, Ph.D., Executive Director, Main St. Counseling CenterChristine Norbut Beyer, MSW, Commissioner, NJ Department of Children and Families 93023 #515

I speak to artist, poet, director Andre Jones who has an exhibit of his artwork Metaphorical Imagery The Intersection Between Hip-hop Lyricism and Superheroes. Opening July 7, 2023 5pm-7pm at The Grand Opera House's Grand Gallery. Hanging through August 31st. The Comic Book Artists and Creators of Delaware Comic Festival August 5, 2023 12pm-5pm on Market Street between 2nd and 3rd Street in Wilmington DE. Food family fun comics and characters. Vending opportunities available contact us at: Comicbookcreators@gmail.comTwitter: @jonesmfaInstagram: @sentinel5344Facebook: Facebook.com/Andre.n.JonesThe teaching of black history and critical race theory is under attack in states across the nation. which is why we're encouraged by the efforts of NJ Education Department's Amistad Commission which is providing black history training for teachers to incorporate throughout the school year. I speak to A. Dr. Patrick Lamy, Executive Director of the Amistad Commission from the NJ Department of Education about an upcoming 2023 Summer Institute for teachers and students,.Website: The Amistad Commission (nj.gov)Philadelphia needs police officers speak to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Verdell Johnson who offers some compelling information about incentives that might interest potential recruits including family sustaining salaries and outstanding medical benefits. The current window for application ends July 16.https://joinphillypd.com/

Rafael Fernandez, MPH is the COVID19 Vaccination Program Manager at NJ Department of Health and Human Services . He's an epidemiologist with 20+ years of experience across epidemiology and infection control. He has a demonstrated history of working in the communicable disease and infection control industries. He conferred a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at Hunter College and then a Master of Public Health at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health.Full ShownotesRafael on LinkedInSupport The Public Health MillennialChapters:@0:00 Teaser@1:10 Episode Start@2:51 Raphael Fernandez, MPH Intro@5:42 Path into being an infection epidemiologist@12:40 First job in Epidemiology post Master of Public Health@19:12 Path into infection control@30:55 Starting a fitness business@36:41 Bachelors in Economics at Hunter College@39:20 When did you learn about public health? @42:00 Knowing wanted to be an epidemiologist @45:40 Advice getting into infection control@49:00 Advice about not burning bridges@53:18 Push to start fitness business@57:49 Manager at Kings County Medical Center@58:42 New York State Department of Health@1:02:22 3 infectious disease outbreak investigations @1:08:36 Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting@1:15:22 Covid19 Vaccine Program Manager at NJ DHHS@1:20:34 Health coaching, developing course on vitamin & supplements @1:28:25 What is public health?Support the showThanks for tuning in. Let's all work together towards a culture of health, wellbeing, and equity for all. ⭐⭐ SUBSCRIBE & Leave a 5-STAR REVIEW! ⭐⭐ Follow & Support:- Contribute to the show (one-time or monthly)- The Public Health Millennial on IG - The Public Health Millennial on LinkedIn - The Public Health Millennial Website- Omari Richins, MPH on LinkedIn- Support on The Public Health Store

The Rowan Report is a weekly newscast that brings you a recap of the week's top headlines. This week's edition reports on President Biden's fall during the Air Force Academy's Graduation ceremony, and the NJ Department of Corrections is mourning the death of an officer.

There is a stigma with Reverse Mortgages.  Given that Phoenix is a top market for Homeownership, especially for Seniors, it's fitting that we discuss how they can be used and leveraged for retirement.  Mark Atkinson only works on reverse mortgages and breaks down myths for us to understand this product. Mark Atkinson NMLS 1959967 Reverse Mortgage SpecialistCell 818-414-4520 Mark.Atkinson@FairwayMC.comLEGAL Copyright©2023 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. NMLS#2289. 4750 S. Biltmore Lane, Madison, WI 53718, 1-866-912-4800. All rights reserved. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates, and programs are subject to change without prior notice. All products are subject to credit and property approval. Not all products are available in all states or for all dollar amounts. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. Fairway is not affiliated with any government agencies. Equal Housing Opportunity.  Fairway is required to disclose the following license information. AZ License #BK-0904162; CA: Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, License No 41DBO-78367. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law, NMLS #2289. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License.; Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #21158; For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org; MA Mortgage Broker and Lender License #MC2289; NV: Licensed Nevada Mortgage Lender; NJ: Licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance; NY: Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Department of Financial Services; Rhode Island Licensed Broker & Lender; VA: Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation NMLS Entity ID #2289(http://nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/company/2289); REVERSE MORTGAGES Fairway is not affiliated with any government agencies. These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency. Reverse mortgage borrowers are required to obtain an eligibility certificate by receiving counseling sessions with a HUD-approved agency. Youngest borrower must be at least 62 years old. Your monthly reverse mortgage advances may affect your eligibility for some other programs. At the conclusion of the term of the reverse mortgage loan contract, some or all of the equity in the property that is the subject of the reverse mortgage no longer belongs to you and you may need to sell or transfer the property to repay the proceeds of the reverse mortgage with interest from your assets. We will charge an origination fee, a mortgage insurance premium, closing costs or servicing fees for the reverse mortgage, all or any of which we will add to the balance of the reverse mortgage loan. The balance of the reverse mortgage loan grows over time and interest will be charged on the outstanding loan balance. You retain title to the property that is the subject of the reverse mortgage until you sell or transfer the property and you are therefore responsible for paying property taxes, insurance, and maintenance and related taxes. Failing to pay these amounts may cause the reverse mortgage loan to become due immediately and may subject the property to a tax lien or other encumbrance or to possible foreclosure. Interest on reverse mortgage is not deductible to your income tax return until you repay all or part of the reverse mortgage loan. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates and programs are subject to change without notice. All products are subject to credit and property approval. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Rafael Mangual, senior fellow with and head of research for the Manhattan Institute's Policing and Public Safety Initiative and a contributing editor of City JournalTopic: Death of Tyre Nichols, crime in cities nationwideCharlie Giblin, Special Agent in Charge of the NJ Department of Treasury Office of Criminal Investigation & Internal Security (Ret.)Topic: Problems with banning all flavored tobacco productsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lorenzo McFadden is a 20-year veteran community leader and human services advocate who co-founded two New Jersey-based services organizations. An alumnus of Morehouse College with Fortune 100 experience, McFadden's impactful programming has played an integral role in helping local school systems provide subsidized and grant-sponsored mental health services.In addition to serving as Director of Operations at The Thrive Network, McFadden has also led American Training Center to the only federally approved apprenticeship program for certified medical assistants in South Jersey. American Training Center has also been awarded PACE, GAINS, and Upskills grants from the NJ Department of Labor. In partnership with The Thrive Network, they have trained and certified over 1000 workers in NJ in Mental Health First Aid.Lorenzo McFadden is also a member of the Human Services Advisory Council for Cape May county and a Board of Trustee member of the Community Planning and Advocacy Council.Learn more and connect with Lorenzo McFadden:Website: https://thethrivenetwork.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wherekidsthrive/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wherekidsthrive/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/where-kids-thrive-inc/Find out more about GAIN THE PASSION Coachinghttps://www.gainthepassion.comAccess past episodes and more of the GAIN THE PASSION Podcasthttps://www.gainthepassionpodcast.com

In this week's episode, Miriam Gonzales, BS, CHES is a Public Health Consultant II in Health Education at New Jersey Department of Public Health. She is Certified in Health Education. Miriam is a resilient, self-motivated, and productive individual with 11+ years of experience in patient care, customer service, and health education in both the private and public sector. She got her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health Education and Advocacy from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Miriam Gonzales, CHES on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-gonzales/ NJ Department of Health Project Firstline: https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/edu_training/pfl/Public Health Hired: http://www.publichealthhired.com/Shownotes: https://thephmillennial.com/episode118 Join Community Health & Wellness Discord: https://www.thephmillennial.com/join Omari on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thephmillennial Omari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omari-richins All ways to support The Public Health Millennial: https://thephmillennial.com/support/ Shop at The Public Health Store - use code 'podcast for 10% off order': https://thephmillennial.com/shop/Chapters:@0:00 Episode Teaser@0:35 Episode Theme Song@1:05 Episode Intro@2:03 Miriam Gonzales, BS, CHES Introduction @3:00 How are you doing and coping?@4:02 How identify & personal background@5:58 What is public health?@7:57 Sponsor: Public Health Hired & The Public Health Store@9:21 County College of Morris @13:38 Bachelors in Health Education & Advocacy at Rutgers University @19:54 Other undergrad takeaways@22:54 Patient Care Assistant to Patient Care Technician at Hunterdon Healthcare@24:54 Shift to Ambulatory Testing Center Coordinator@30:43 Certified Health Education Specialists@33:53 Health Educator at Trenton Health Team@39:46 How much work from CHES vs schooling and team@41:33 Sponsor: Community Health & Wellness Discord@42:21 Public Health Consultant 2 at the New Jersey Department of Health@47:00 Advice in creating education programs for diverse audiences@48:49 Masters in Health Leadership in January 2023@53:29 What intend to get out of master degree?@56:22 Future Predictions@58:19 Advice for public health students@1:01:35 Advice for someone seeking a career in public health@1:02:42 What are you working on improving in you life?@1:04:00 Professional Recommendation@1:05:27 Connect with Miriam Gonzales, BS, CHESSupport the show

In this episode we chat with Willie Dwayne Francois III. Willie Dwayne Francois III (DMin, Candler School of Theology) is senior pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Pleasantville, New Jersey, and president of the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality. He serves as assistant professor of liberation theology at New York Theological Seminary and directs a master's degree program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. He created the Public Love Organizing and Training (PLOT) Project and has served in various organizations engaging racial justice issues, including the Atlantic City chapter of Black Lives Matter, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, and the NJ Department of State's MLK Jr. Commission. Francois is an active speaker and has written for HuffPost, Sojourners, The Hill, the Christian Century, and Religion Dispatches. Willie's book Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome Our Inaction on Race will be released on 8/16/22. You can connect with Willie on: Facebook     Twitter     Instagram Willie Dwayne Francois III is Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist church You can purchase Silencing White noise at Amazon.com You can connect with This Is Not Church on: Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTube Also check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church related Each episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!    

I woke up on Wednesday morning to a text from one of my very best friends, Stephen Bogan, of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. “OMGGGG…LOOK…,” the message read. There was the link to an article about a recent archaeological discovery of Hessian soldiers' remains at the Battle of Red Bank, in New Jerset. This article is amazing. Please, please, please respond to the poll question at the end of the podcast. Message me at: njhistorypodcast@gmail.com Instagram: njhistorypodcast YouTube: The New Jersey History Podcast Channel Facebook: I'm so over that, and it lasted barely two months , because it's ridiculous and people can turn a “hello” into an argument. Article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-remains-hessian-soldiers-revolutionary-war-red-bank-battlefield-180980518/ Video: https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/remains-of-revolutionary-war-soldiers-killed-in-1777-found-in-nj-field.html

Tune in for Episode 9 of our podcast to hear from a fabulous young leader, Miss Denia Smith (She/Her/Hers) on how she is advancing civil and human rights as an intersectional changemaker and advocate. Be sure and check out her amazing podcast, "The She Shall Speak Series," to learn more about extraordinary, innovative, and trailblazing Black women and girls.Read more about Denia below: Denia Smith (She/Her/Hers) is an intersectional changemaker from New Jersey. She is immensely passionate about racial and gender justice, educational equity, and civic engagement. As a student researcher and grassroots organizer, Denia seeks to empower and mobilize young people in the pursuit of a more just and equitable future. She is known for organizing a #BlackLivesMatter march garnering 1,000 attendees; reaching over 5,000 students through local and national initiatives pertaining to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); and co-founding the WW-P POC Advocacy: a youth organization implementing racially equitable education reform. As a Youth Advisor on Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Youth Advisory Board, Denia continues to collaborate with young people to make US schools more just, caring, and inclusive spaces for all students. Her advocacy expands beyond her community as a Teen Advisor to the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up Campaign, where she advocates for global gender equality. During her tenure, Denia spoke at the 2021 Girl Up Leadership Summit, co-emceed Girl Up's Inaugural Sports Innovation Lab, and represented Girl Up at the Big Brainstorm, UNF's annual open-space event designed to provide a platform for intergenerational action on pressing global issues. Denia also explores the intersections of racial and gender justice as a Young Scholar Research Intern at the African American Policy Forum. Her research on Black girls 'self-perception as leaders inspired her to create The She Shall Speak Series, a podcast and empowerment community inspiring Black women and girls to be leaders. Since its creation in February 2022, The She Shall Speak Series has garnered a global audience spanning across 12 U.S. states and 5 countries. Additionally, Denia mobilizes young people for Democratic policies as the Political Director of the New Jersey High School Democrats and Executive Director of the High School Democrats of America's Black Caucus. Denia is a three-year alumnus of Black Girls Lead! hosted by BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is a Conversationalist Disruptor, Disney Dreamer, New Jersey Rising Scholar (bestowed by the NJ Department of Education), recipient of the Princeton Prize in Race Relation's Certificate of Accomplishment, and member of the Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Global Cohort powered by Women Empowering Nations and Cantu Beauty. 

Tune in for Episode 9 of our podcast to hear from a fabulous young leader, Miss Denia Smith (She/Her/Hers) on how she is advancing civil and human rights as an intersectional changemaker and advocate. Be sure and check out her amazing podcast, "The She Shall Speak Series," to learn more about extraordinary, innovative, and trailblazing Black women and girls.Read more about Denia below: Denia Smith (She/Her/Hers) is an intersectional changemaker from New Jersey. She is immensely passionate about racial and gender justice, educational equity, and civic engagement. As a student researcher and grassroots organizer, Denia seeks to empower and mobilize young people in the pursuit of a more just and equitable future. She is known for organizing a #BlackLivesMatter march garnering 1,000 attendees; reaching over 5,000 students through local and national initiatives pertaining to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); and co-founding the WW-P POC Advocacy: a youth organization implementing racially equitable education reform. As a Youth Advisor on Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Youth Advisory Board, Denia continues to collaborate with young people to make US schools more just, caring, and inclusive spaces for all students. Her advocacy expands beyond her community as a Teen Advisor to the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up Campaign, where she advocates for global gender equality. During her tenure, Denia spoke at the 2021 Girl Up Leadership Summit, co-emceed Girl Up's Inaugural Sports Innovation Lab, and represented Girl Up at the Big Brainstorm, UNF's annual open-space event designed to provide a platform for intergenerational action on pressing global issues. Denia also explores the intersections of racial and gender justice as a Young Scholar Research Intern at the African American Policy Forum. Her research on Black girls 'self-perception as leaders inspired her to create The She Shall Speak Series, a podcast and empowerment community inspiring Black women and girls to be leaders. Since its creation in February 2022, The She Shall Speak Series has garnered a global audience spanning across 12 U.S. states and 5 countries. Additionally, Denia mobilizes young people for Democratic policies as the Political Director of the New Jersey High School Democrats and Executive Director of the High School Democrats of America's Black Caucus. Denia is a three-year alumnus of Black Girls Lead! hosted by BLACK GIRLS ROCK!® at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is a Conversationalist Disruptor, Disney Dreamer, New Jersey Rising Scholar (bestowed by the NJ Department of Education), recipient of the Princeton Prize in Race Relation's Certificate of Accomplishment, and member of the Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Global Cohort powered by Women Empowering Nations and Cantu Beauty. 

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series ⭐ WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series. For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected. S2 | EP 4: CHRISTINE NORBUT BEYER ~ POWERFUL FAMILIES, POWERFUL COMMUNITIES Christine Norbut Beyer, MSW has been Commissioner of the NJ Department of Children and Families since 2018. She is redefining the agency as a prevention-focused, child and family serving department, with a vision to help keep all New Jerseyans safe, healthy and connected. Under her leadership, the Department of Children and Families has reduced out of home removals and made historic investments in children's mental health. Some of her ground-breaking initiatives include, preventing maltreatment and promoting strong families pioneering constituent voices including amplifying youth voices, increasing kinship and familiar placements, supporting evidence-based, data-driven contracting; reducing staff safety incidents; evolving the integrated, inclusive system of care for children with behavioral and developmental diagnoses; promoting ACEs prevention, and transforming child welfare. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Beyer served as a Senior Director and Strategic Consultant at Casey Family Programs, a national child welfare foundation, focused on improving outcomes for children and families. In her capacity as a national child welfare consultant, she supported the efforts of public child welfare agencies, the judiciary and governors in creating better outcomes for at-risk children and families and had the opportunity to delve deeply into the areas of brain science, ACEs, and trauma-informed care and the intersection with child welfare. These are policy areas she continues to pursue at the Department of Children and Families. Commissioner Beyer and her staff at NJ DCF is an ally of WE GOT US NOW. #WeGotUsNow #ChristineNorbutBeyer #NJDCF #NJCommissioner #DepartmentofChildrenandFamilies #ChildWelfareSystem #PowerfulFamiliesPowerfulCommunities #FortheKids #FortheFuture #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #KinshipCare #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowCommunity #WeGotUsNowAllies #WeGotUsNowPodcast FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter: @WE_GOTUSNOW

Welcome back to the Bridgeton Beacon podcast, and part 3 in this series with New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture, Doug Fisher. From aquaculture to zucchini, clams to Christmas trees,

Welcome to part 2 in this series with NJ Secretary of Agriculture, Doug Fisher. From aquaculture to zucchini, clams to Christmas trees,

From aquaculture to zucchini, clams to Christmas trees,

Marta Pascual Barea is the executive director and founder of School of Wonder, a social enterprise that creates immersive experiences and games to play in the fresh air in which kids and families become protagonists of imaginative stories full of fun missions that activate their imagination and connect them to the world they explore. I was fortunate to be able to help lead an adventure this fall in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. It brought me so much joy to take part in the rich journey Marta offered the children, who were invited to discover the secrets of Gaia through a series of magical experiences that unfolded throughout a beautiful day filled with nature, laughter, art, and science. In my conversation with Marta, she shares the journey and motivation behind creating School of Wonder. We reflect on the importance of offering immersive nature experiences to children, and what partnerships and strategies make that possible in today's world. We revisit powerful moments we shared working with children together this Fall and unpack the significance of choices we make as adults facilitating children. Marta shares what's next for her and School of Wonder, such as re-imagining theme parks. Watch the full video of this podcast on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6n7Wtf2Okys School of Wonder's website: https://www.theschoolofwonder.com/ Read more about Marta in her bio: https://www.theschoolofwonder.com/the-founder Learn more about the Four Gardens: https://www.fourgardenspodcast.com/ Marta's Full Bio: Marta Pascual Barea is an experiential educator and learning experience designer, with a solid background in K-12 Education innovation and school system reform. She has 12+ years of international experience as a specialist in school evaluation, curriculum and assessment frameworks, and implementation of innovative solutions in classrooms. In these capacities, she has contributed to important education policy reforms (UK Department for Education and NJ Department of Education) and participated in cutting-edge projects in leading ed-tech companies of the United States (Amplify Education, Edpuzzle, Nearpod and Google Expeditions). She started her career as strategic consultant at Boston Consulting Group and became passionate about K-12 Education after co-creating the Spanish version of Teach for America (“Empieza por Educar”) in 2009. Intro music by Bensound.com

Mike Duncan and Joe Ahlert are the owners and operators of Duncan Defense Consultants, based out of Hazlet, New Jersey and with an outdoor course in Cream Ridge. They came by the fire pit to discuss firearms, the importance of a home defense plan to protect your family, executing the plan, and doing everything safely and legally. Enjoy! Mike Duncan is a 15-year veteran of the U. S. Air Force and retired Lieutenant of the Hazlet Police Department, where he served as the firearms instructor responsible for qualifying members of the agency from 2002-2019. He was also the Department Training Officer and Lead Simunitions Instructor, for which he planned scenarios for Active Shooter Response, Room Clearing, Search Warrant Entry, Motor Vehicle Stops, and Street Encounters. From 2008 to the present, he has been an NRA-certified instructor, serving the NJ Department of Criminal Justice (NJDCJ) Police Training Commission (PTC) in handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle, and sniper instruction. Joe Ahlert is an NRA – Certified firearms instructor and active competitive shooter. He holds certificates from numerous shooting schools across the country and actively continues that training in order to constantly improve his skills and stay abreast of the latest information. In addition to armed defense, he also greatly values the art of unarmed self defense, holding a 3rd degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu and studying under world – renowned fighter Renzo Gracie. A Jiu jitsu instructor himself, he has trained military, law enforcement, professional athletes, and hobbyists alike for the past twenty plus years, with a number of his students going on to excel at the highest levels of combat sports.

Michael interviews YPN Communication Chair Emily Michaels on current YPN Chapter 17 Events. Then Michael interviews Dr. Meg Fisher from the NJ Department of Health's Office of the Commissioner about the COVID-19 vaccines: facts, fiction, and why you need to get it.

Focus on Computer Science: Where does computer science fit into STEM teacher education? (Chair: Katherine Herbert, MSU Department of Computer Science) Emily Hill, Drew University Mayra Bachrach, Glen Ridge HS, past president CSTA-NJ North Thomas Marlowe, Seton Hall Daryl Detrick, President of CSTA-NJ Joshua Koen, Chief Innovation Officer, NJ Department of Education

Focus on Policy: How well is the STEM teacher certification process in NJ meeting the needs of schools, and what changes might lead to a more robust population of STEM teachers? (Chair: Jennifer Robinson, MSU Center of Pedagogy) Michael Heinz, State Science Supervisor, NJ Department of Education Tina Powell, Science Supervisor, Orange Public Schools Robert Goodman, NJ Center for Teaching and Learning Tia Morris, Teach for America

Thamicha Isaac is the founder and CEO of Openly Positive, an HIV activist, and an advocate. Thamicha was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 19 years old. After accepting her diagnosis and turning her pain into power, Thamicha started her search for her purpose. In that search, she became an HIV/ testing counselor, risk reduction counselor, a client centered counselor, a transgender ally, a prEP counselor and a transitional life coach. She earned all of her state credentials from NJ Department of Health at Rutgers Training facility in New Brunswick NJ. She is also a B.C.L.A graduate. Ms. Isaac was coached and trained by Lakeisha Dixon, the breakthrough strategist. Often called upon to share her testimony of strength, resilience, courage and transformation, Thamicha is making a name for her cause through living and speaking her truth as an openly positive black Caribbean woman living in America with her handsome sons. When Ms. Isaac is not across the country speaking and sharing her story, you can find her facilitating at various communities where she has group sessions and workshops. Ms. Isaac has dedicated this part of her life to be a voice for people affected and living with HIV in hopes that it can bring someone else strength & comfort, letting them know they are not alone in their fight against stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS and people living with a positive diagnosis in marginalized disproportionate vulnerable populations.    “An HIV diagnosis is not the end to ones life, but a new beginning to a beautiful life if you can find it in yourself to forgive and love all of you through this diagnosis. “ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mysurvivorvoice/support

In honor of Mother’s Day this month, we're talking about what the State of New Jersey is doing to increase access to maternal and infant health for mothers and babies of color. Specifically, we delve into Nurture NJ, a statewide, multi-agency campaign committed to driving down the maternal/infant mortality rate, particularly among Black and Brown mothers and infants, and to ensuring equitable care among women and children of all races and ethnicities. This episode is guest hosted by NJEDA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Michelle Bodden. Michelle is joined by First Lady Tammy Murphy, NJ Department of Health Assistant Commissioner Lisa Asare & NJEDA Executive VP Tara Colton.

QUESTION PRESENTED:(1) Whether the Natural Gas Act delegates to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission certificate-holders the authority to exercise the federal government’s eminent-domain power to condemn land in which a state claims an interest; and (2) whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit properly exercised jurisdiction over this case.DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)Jan 24 2020 | Application (19A836) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from February 3, 2020 to March 4, 2020, submitted to Justice Alito.Jan 27 2020 | Application (19A836) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until March 4, 2020.Feb 18 2020 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 23, 2020)Mar 09 2020 | Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC.Mar 20 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of Marcellus Shale Coalition and Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association filed.Mar 20 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of Industrial Energy Consumers of America filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amici curiae of Pennslvania Manufacturers' Association, et al. filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amici curiae of United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, et al. filed.Mar 23 2020 | Waiver of New Jersey Conservation Foundation of right to respond not accepted for filing. (March 24, 2020)Mar 23 2020 | Waiver of right of respondent New Jersey Conservation Foundation to respond filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of Consumer Energy Alliance filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amici curiae of Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute filed.Mar 23 2020 | Brief amici curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry filed.Mar 23 2020 | Waiver of right of respondents State of New Jersey; NJ Department of Envrionmental Protection, et al. to respond filed.Apr 01 2020 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/17/2020.Apr 13 2020 | Response Requested. (Due May 13, 2020)Apr 30 2020 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from May 13, 2020 to June 12, 2020, submitted to The Clerk.Apr 30 2020 | Response to motion from petitioner PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC filed.May 01 2020 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted in part; the time is extended to and including June 2, 2020, for all respondents.Jun 02 2020 | Brief of respondents State of New Jersey; NJ Department of Envrionmental Protection, et al. in opposition filed.Jun 02 2020 | Waiver of right of respondent New Jersey Conservation Foundation to respond filed.Jun 03 2020 | Letter waiving the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition for a writ of certiorari pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed.Jun 09 2020 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/25/2020.Jun 09 2020 | Reply of petitioners PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC filed. (Distributed)Jun 29 2020 | The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.Dec 09 2020 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.Dec 23 2020 | Supplemental brief of respondents State of New Jersey; NJ Department of Envrionmental Protection, et al. filed.Jan 07 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/22/2021.Feb 03 2021 | Petition GRANTED. In addition to the question presented by the petition, the parties are directed to brief and argue the following question: Did the Court of Appeals properly exercise jurisdiction over this case? The case will be set for argument in the April 2021 argument session.Feb 05 2021 | Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, PennEast Pipeline Company, LLCFeb 08 2021 | Joint motion to set the briefing schedule filed by the parties.Feb 10 2021 | Joint motion to set the briefing schedule GRANTED. Petitioner's brief on the merits will be filed on or before March 1, 2021. Respondents briefs on the merits will be filed on or before March 31, 2021. The reply brief will be filed in compliance with Rule 25.3.Feb 22 2021 | Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, New Jersey Conservation FoundationMar 01 2021 | Brief of petitioner PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC filed.Mar 01 2021 | Joint appendix (two volumes) filed.Mar 04 2021 | Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, State of New Jersey; NJ Department of Envrionmental Protection, et al.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amici curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amici curiae of United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, et al. filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Pennslvania Manufacturers' Association and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute filed.Mar 08 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Marcellus Shale Coalition and Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association filed.Mar 12 2021 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.Mar 15 2021 | Record requested.Mar 30 2021 | CIRCULATEDMar 31 2021 | Brief of respondent New Jersey Conservation Foundation filed. (Distributed)Mar 31 2021 | Brief of respondents New Jersey, et al. filed. (Distributed)Mar 31 2021 | Motion of the Acting Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.Apr 07 2021 | Brief amici curiae of State of Oregon, et al. filed. (Distributed)Apr 07 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Institute for Justice filed. (Distributed)Apr 07 2021 | Brief amici curiae of The Council of State Governments, et al. filed. (Distributed)Apr 16 2021 | Motion of the Acting Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.Apr 16 2021 | Reply of petitioner PennEast Pipeline Company, LLC filed. (Distributed)Apr 28 2021 | Argued. For petitioner: Paul D. Clement, Washington, D. C.; and Edwin S. Kneedler, Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondents: Jeremy M. Feigenbaum, Counsel to the Attorney General, Trenton, N. J.★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This special bonus episode reviews the latest guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health for schools and the implications it will have for how schools operate moving forward. The episode reviews new standards related to physical distancing, other key health and safety protocols and the potential health and legal challenges that are likely to arise as school districts move towards a planned full reopening of schools in the Fall. https://bit.ly/3e5uzAn (View resources discussed during this episode, including available online courses.)

BECOME A PRODUCER! http://www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast   Find The Midnight Train Podcast: www.themidnighttrainpodcast.com www.facebook.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.twitter.com/themidnighttrainpc www.instagram.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.discord.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.tiktok.com/themidnighttrainp   And wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.   Subscribe to our official YouTube channel: OUR YOUTUBE          Today, my friends, we have another installment in our creepy places series. We are taking a trip to the east coast. We've covered probably the most known creepy story about this state already in a past episode, and now we're back for more creepiness! We know there are more than a few listeners from this particular state, so if we fuck up, we know we’ll hear about it. At the same time we would love to hear more stories about anything we cover from the people who are around it and may have visited these spots or encountered any of the crazy stuff we discuss. So without further ado...the train is pulling out of the station and heading east to none other than New Jersey. Keep your hands inside of the train and watch out for raccoons!          So a little less than a year ago, at the beginning of this whole covid plague, we did a quarantine mashup. We discussed Springheeled Jack, The Wendigo, and the one and only Leeds devil, aka The Jersey Devil! If you are looking for our take on the Jersey Devil Go back and listen to that episode, we will not be discussing him(it?) today. But we are going to head to a bunch of different creepy spots. First Up we head to Totowa (toe tuh wuh) NJ.          Totowa is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. Totowa in its current iteration has been around since 1898, but the land that is Totowa has been occupied since the 1600’s. Its been around for a long time. Having been around for so long there are destined to be tons of creepy tales, like our first one!            First up is the legendary “Ghost Of Annie”.  For more generations than anyone can seem to remember, Totowa’s Riverview Drive has been more commonly known to locals as “Annie’s Road.”  And for just as long, it has played host to innumerable carloads of late night thrill seekers. What these adventurous night riders are looking for is the spectral figure of Annie herself, an other-worldly apparition that has long been associated with this snaking riverside byway. Running along the Totowa side of the Passaic River, Riverview Drive, or “Reefer Road” as it has been dubbed by many a partying teen, seems to be just brimming with the stuff from which local legends are made. At night it is a dark and treacherous drive that leaves little room for error between the steep hillside on one side, and the muddy slough of the Passaic on the other. It is a remote and wooded road, right in the heart of a densely populated area. There are mythical places to be discovered here as well, or so many have alleged. The isolated community located on Norwood Terrace, an oxbow street found on one of Riverview’s many curves, has long had the reputation of being New Jersey’s much fabled “Midgetville.” We are not going to discuss midgetville here as it is one of the more famous Jersey legends. But what really beckons people to Annie’s Road year after year, decade after decade, is the quest to see Annie herself. The lure of experiencing the supernatural first hand, has been the catalyst for countless late night adventures over the generations, and several notorious misadventures as well. In most cases, these ghost hunters and seekers of Midgetville are nothing more than carloads of bored suburban youth, looking for some harmless late night thrills. Annie’s Road has however, on more than one occasion led its nightriders down a pathway to danger, and even death.  Riverview Drive is no stranger to severe auto accidents, and Annie is not the only soul who has been lost there. What better way to get to the heart of the legend than to hear it from the locals! This is the story of her death as recounted by a local who was young when it happened:                              “As I have been a resident of Totowa all my life, I can tell you the actual story of this poor girl’s fate. Annie was walking home from her prom at school in Little Falls. The shortest and perhaps the easiest route to take was Riverview Drive. She was passing the Laurel Grove Cemetery when a large truck plowed her over and dragged her about 50 feet or so. Her blood can still be seen on the side of the road she had been dragged. If she is to be seen she is a short ways down the road from the blood. This is very close to the place where her tomb once is. My brother has been to the plot in the Laurel Grove Cemetery that was created for her. Though I was little, I do remember hearing that for no apparent reason at all, the tomb caved inward and looked somewhat like a cave”. —Court Well Thanks Court for the info!!! Another story we came across was that back in the 1960s, a couple was driving down the road in Totowa when they got into a huge fight which led the man to open the car door and throw out his partner. Ah, the 60’s! Alone, scared, and injured, the woman began wandering on the street only to be hit by a truck and die on the spot. Even worse, her dress got tangled in the car and she was dragged along the road, taking off her face. Sounds like a cannibal corpse song.  While the stories may vary, they both have the same stories attached. The main one is that there is a trail of old blood on the road from where she was dragged and a splatter of blood on a guardrail as well. Here’s a story about the blood splatter from another local:                                      “ I have heard many stories about this road, and have been there numerous time. I was told roughly the same story that she was killed on her wedding night, and was killed on the road and dragged along it. The first time I went there my friends told me that there was a bloodstain on the road, and a splatter on the guardrail. It WAS there, whatever it was, and it scared the shit out of me. I have taken other friends there throughout the years, and have told them the same story. “Annie’s Lane,” as I have often heard it called, is a great place to bring people for a scary experience. —Marcus Freeman” Sounds crazy right! So the cool part about researching all of these legends is finding different people recounting their stories and seeing all of the crazy variations on the legends. One story has her ghost appearing at midnight while another swears it's at 2am. There's the prom story, the couple story,  then there was another that is positive that her cousin's uncle's brother's friend's grandpa was at the scene and that she was decapitated during a car accident. Then you have the tales of the blood on the asphalt and blood on the guardrail. There's a variation on that story that says that her deranged father would come back every year on the anniversary of her death and paint the guardrail red to keep the memory of his daughter alive and meet with her ghost. Regardless of what version you want to believe, it seems that overall the stretch of road is pretty creepy. There is a cemetery nearby where she is buried and supposedly is a hotspot for paranormal happenings as well. There are reports of video cameras being drained of their batteries, strange lights being caught on camera but not being seen by the naked eye, and some have reported seeing Annie's Ghost at the cemetery as well. Some people also have attributed the “hail mary murders” in NJ as having something to do with this story. We found this tale on another website. It goes as such : It was 1992, and six high school boys spent their days fixated by Annie’s tale. Believing she was run over by a car and that she now haunted the road, they spent their nights at Norwood Terrace, near the house she supposedly lived in, then they would drive up and down River View Dr, before ending up at the mausoleum where they thought she was buried.   Eventually though 5 of the boys felt that they no longer wanted to hang around with the 6th boy, and decided to make him leave. They made several botched attempts to burn his car, but they all failed. Eventually realizing that they couldn’t make him go away, they decided he needed to be eliminated. (and all this because they were bored with his company mind you) They tried to stuff an aerosol can into his gas tank in the hopes of causing an explosion. It didn’t fit. They tried to convince him to be handcuffed to the steering wheel, after which they would stick a flaming rag into the gas tank. He refused. After so many botched attempts to scare him and even eliminate him, some of the boys wondered if he wasn’t protected by Annie herself… They finally settled on a simpler method, and tragically it worked. One day they all drove out to the HS and parked in back. They all began to recite the Catholic “Hail Mary”, and then one of the boys in back took out an electrical cord and strangled the victim from behind, garrote style. Putting his feet on the headrest, the victim didn’t have a chance, and the other boys continued to recite the Hail Mary, until after nearly 10 minutes, he was dead. They tried to cover up the crime by outing the body in the trunk and causing an explosion, but it didn’t work. They ditched the car, and predictably, were caught, arrested, and convicted.   Although this makes for a great story, after going through more than a few articles about the Hail Mary Murders, not one of them had any mention of the Annie legend in them. Doesnt mean its not true but we didn't come up with any proof! Sounds fun...we’re there! Anyone out there experienced Annie’s ghost, or have you been there to check it out? Let us know!        There is, or once was, a legendary place off a dirt road called Disbrow Hill in Monroe Township (Middlesex County) known as Crematory Hill in local lore. As the stories go, back in the 1970s it was one of those scary places where at night anything could happen. The legend of this place was that it was a structure where bodies were cremated, with the remains either shipped out or buried in the graveyard adjacent to the building. It is said that it was abandoned long ago due to the presence of ghosts and spirits. We thought this would make a really cool story but it was hard to find a ton about this legend! There was a story that was on Weird NJ website that we found that has the most info and it came from a local so we are going to relay that story because it is pretty cool!                 “Back when I was in East Brunswick High School, ’69-’72, it was a great place to go with friends or your date and get a good scare, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. It was considered a real rite of passage. There was usually clothing and unrecognizable stuff hanging off the trees at the start of the road leading to Crematory Hill and sometimes further on down. On several trips, we saw a large wooden sign painted in red propped up on the side of the road with the warning: WELCOME TO HELL. That was the signal it was going to be a hell of a ride! Screaming sounds were often heard from the woods, but we drove on, excited and expecting anything! On the way, there was one house close to the dirt road, always with the lights on, where it was rumored that you would see the family living there hitting each other with hammers in the windows. We never saw that, but even with the lights on, it really didn’t look like anyone lived there and it had a weird presence, stuck out there in the middle of nowhere. After passing that landmark, we would look for the opening in the woods off the dirt road that would lead to the Crematory. It was on the right side. This is where the courage factor came into play. It was dark, real dark, and the woods were thick. Weird sounds startled you. You didn’t know what was out there. All we had were a flashlight and our nerve. We walked the dirt path, adrenaline pumping, always aware that something was out there, and in the beams of the flashlights, the structure loomed. Covered with graffiti, it was imposing in the darkness, yet waiting for us to enter and explore. The large, empty building was built up on a dirt hill. It was made out of bricks, stone, and cement. There were openings for windows and doors; there was rubble in the basement. To get to the basement, you had to jump through a hole in the floor. There were some pipes through the floor, which were supposed to be part of the crematory equipment. The structure was probably built in the 19th century. After exploring the Crematory, more courage was mustered to walk the grounds and find the cemetery. There was a low wall, which you followed to find the graveyard, taking you deeper into the woods, further away from your car, the only means to escape if anything happened. This took a lot more of your courage.         After locating the burial ground, the walk back seemed longer and scarier. When you got closer to the road and the car came into view in the flashlight beam, you breathed a sigh of relief, quickening your steps until the key was in the door and you were back in the car. One time we got out of the car at the Crematory, started walking, and heard some rustling in the trees. All of a sudden from the dark came a combination of howling voices and figures, trying to attack us. We were close enough to the car and I had the key in hand fast enough for us to pile in and for me to spin my wheels in gear to get out of there like a bat out of hell. Luckily we escaped uninjured. One of my friends looked back and saw dark outlines of figures, but there were no cars around for them to follow us in. How and why they were there is a mystery. I was told that the Crematory was used by Rutgers fraternities and Douglass sororities as part of the pledging/initiation processes since the 1940s. Crematory Hill provided lots of unpredictable excitement for us teenagers. The ride itself was scary enough, but you were always drawn to walk in the woods, to face the unknown.” –Lewis Sofman      There were other stories of people hearing howls and screams when they would travel through the woods to get to the site. There are stories of people being shot at while they were there. People claimed to have been chased but god knows what. It's odd cus there seems to be tons of local stories but there isn't much outside of that. Which is great for legends and myths though not so much for research.  It does appear that the building was definitely there, there are old pictures of the building that you can see, we’ll definitely post them. Unfortunately for everyone the building has been demolished and condos now reside on the spot where the building used to be. We were unable to find any concrete evidence that the building was actually crematory either. If any of you folks from jersey can shed more light on this one we’d love to hear it, meanwhile we’ll keep digging!               Now we are gonna switch it up and talk cryptids. There are more cryptids than just the Jersey devil roaming and swimming around. First up we have the The Sandyhook Sea Serpent.               The North Shrewsbury (Navesink) River is one of the most scenic estuaries on the Eastern Coast of America. Known for luxury yachts, stately homes, and iceboating, it is hardly the place you would expect to find the legend of a sea serpent. But, in the late nineteenth century it was the location of one of many well-documented and unexplained sightings of mysterious sea creatures that plagued the waters of the North Atlantic. The creature in question was seen by several people, all who were familiar with local sea life. While returning from a daylong outing, Marcus P. Sherman, Lloyd Eglinton, Stephen Allen and William Tinton, all of Red Bank, encountered the monster. The Red Bank Register reported the witnesses to be sober and respectable local merchants. At around 10:00 P.M. the yacht Tillie S., owned by Sherman, was making its way back to Red Bank after a picnic at Highlands Beach. The men had enjoyed a pleasant Sunday evening escaping the warm early summer weather. The moon was shining bright, providing for high visibility as the yacht cut through the water. A stiff summer breeze was blowing and they rounded the Highlands and headed toward Red Bank. At the tiller of the Tillie S., Marcus Sherman steered through the familiar waters. At the bow was Lloyd Eglinton, who kept watch for debris in the water ahead.   Suddenly Eglinton yelled that there was something in the water dead ahead. Sherman steered “hard to port” to avoid the collision. As they looked to see what the obstacle was, they were shocked. There ahead of them was the Sandy Hook Sea Serpent that had been sighted many times over the preceding two years. So credible were the sightings of the Serpent two years earlier, that Scientific American had run an article issuing an opinion that the monster was in fact a Giant Squid. The article, complete with drawings, appeared in the December 27, 1887, edition of the prestigious scientific periodical. The earlier sighting at Sandy Hook had been made by several credible witnesses. Most notably the members of the Sandy Hook Life Saving Service. The crew members had sighted a large monster in the cold waters just off Sandy Hook in November 1879. The sighting was so credible that scientists were dispatched to take statements. It is from these descriptive statements that it was determined the Sandy Hook Sea Monster was, in fact, a giant squid. For the next several years there were reports of all types of sea serpent sightings up and down the east Atlantic Coast.             What the Red Bank men saw was surely no giant squid. It was described as about 50-foot long and serpentine in shape. It swam with snakelike undulations slowly and steadily through the water. As it passed halfway past the bow, its head rose from the water giving forth a mighty roar. The head was described as small and somewhat resembling a bulldog’s in shape. It had two short rounded horns on its head just above its eyes. The eyes we said to be the size of silver dollars. Bristles adorned the upper lip of the monster, much like those that would be found on a cat. The beast’s nostrils were quite large and flattened. The serpent-like body tapered to a sword-like pointed tail. The frightened men stared in disbelief as it slowly and leisurely swam toward the shore of Hartshorne’s Cove. As the monster disappeared into the night, the men made their way back to Red Bank with a monster of a story to tell. The men of the Tillie S. were not the only ones to see the creature. Other boaters on the water saw the serpent and gave near identical descriptions. In all over a dozen boaters had seen the strange creature on his nocturnal swim. Over the next months and years there would be other sightings of the monster in the Navesink. In time it came to be known as the Shrewsbury Sea Serpent. No scientific explanation was ever given for the sightings, as had been done for the so-called Sandy Hook Sea Serpent, however the description is not totally without merit. Other than the size, the description is very similar to that of the Oarfish. In any case the mystery remains as to the true identity and fate of the Sea Serpent.         Next up we have the blobs….yes the blobs. On  August 6 a large mysterious blob appeared in a Little Egg Harbor tributary in 2003. The Jersey State Police’s marine unit was called in and the Department of Environmental Protection poked and probed the blob and determined that it was not hazardous, though they could not say for sure just what it was. The gooey mass was eventually towed out into the Great Bay using a 50-foot rope and then released. The following year in May of 2004 another gooey, putrid mass surfaced in another waterway in the lagoon community of Beach Haven West, miles away from the original Blob encounter. This smaller “Son of Blob” was only about 10 feet in diameter, but terrorized the beach community nevertheless. “It’s miserable, ugly and disgusting,” said resident Nancy Olivia in the Press of Atlantic City. Olivia called Ocean County officials to say “I went to work today, and I have a Blob in my backyard!” The NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the NJ State Police and Ocean County Health Department were called in to inspect the mass, and samples were taken. The inspectors believed that it was not the same blob that appeared in Little Egg Harbor the prior year, but still didn’t have a clue as to what it consisted of.  It smelled like rotten eggs and measured about 8ft.x10ft.  Most scientists think it was just a mass of algae or plant waste. We like to think its something creepier.  The blob might just be the most disgusting and frightening thing ever encountered at the Jersey Shore, with the possible exception of some cast members from the TV show of the same name. The blob may still be at large, lurking in the depths––so BEWARE!     On top of those there are the numerous bigfoot sightings! These are my people. They are out there and we know they are! In some areas of Jersey they use the nickname Big Red Eye as many reports state he has glowing red eyes! Sussex and Burlington counties seem to be hotspots as they are the top counties for sightings. Here are a few sightings, just cus we love bigfoot sightings.  In 1975, five people reported in a local Sussex County newspaper that a large creature, about nine-feet-tall, was spotted near the Bear Swamp, south of Lake Owassa in the farthest reaches of Sussex County.  The creature walked upright, and was covered with shaggy gray hair. Locals who hunt and fish in the surrounding forest said that it’s possible that something like that could exist because of the remoteness of the area.          In May of 1977, a Sussex County farmer in the town of Wantage reported that a large brown, hairy, Bigfoot-like creature with no neck and glowing red eyes had broken down a one-inch thick oak door and killed his rabbits. Some of the bunnies’ heads were torn off, while other hares were crushed and twisted. The man said there was an unusual absence of blood at the scene. Four men waited with loaded guns the following night for the creature to return. It reappeared at dusk, was shot at, and reportedly hit at least three or four times before running away growling. Although there was an account of the wounded beast re-emerging a few days later, no carcass was ever found. Bob Warth, a member of S.I.T.U. (The Society for the Investigation of The Unexplained based in Little Silver, NJ), claims these Bigfoot-like entities may be UFO related. “We know what robots are,” says Warth. “Is there a possibility that these bigfoots with super-human strength are an extraterrestrial biological robot up in North Jersey? These farmers encountered a bigfoot stealing animals from their barn, they shot at it, hit it right in the body cavity, but there was no blood. It then ran away. When you witness something like that, the first thing you do is relate it to yourself—physically and mentally. If you shoot it, you’re going to shoot where you know the heart is, or whatever, to be to bring it down. First of all, you don’t know what kind of armor it has, and secondly the brain (or control system) may be in his feet for that very purpose…if it is a biological robot.” According to the report on The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website, this witness and his brother-in-law were hunting in an area that they had frequented for several years and heard a sound that neither of them could explain. The sighting,which took place in 2006, was recounted as follows: The deer stood there for about a minute or two mostly looking to the north and east, then turned directly south and walked away. Shortly after this moment I heard a screaming sound coming from the east. The sound had a human quality to it and sounded more angry than distressed. I immediately thought my brother-in-law was hollering for some reason as he was in that direction but chose not to contact him via radio. There were several short 10 second screams lasting a little over a minute and then stopped. I sat there completely perplexed having never heard a sound like that before. After this I noticed the conspicuous absence of any sound or movement in the forest. Prior to this the woods had been filled with the sound of twittering birds and chattering squirrels. After this, the forest was dead quiet. This was the most eerie part of the whole event. After this incident, the witness found a sound file from another website dedicated to Bigfoot encounters. He and his brother-in-law agreed that it was similar to what they had heard. And then there are the stories of “the big hairy man”. No it's not Moody either, he's only been to Jersey a couple of times and we're pretty sure the timelines don't match up to any sightings, well maybe 1 or 2. A Bigfoot-like entity has been seen in the regions of Somerset County, including the Great Swamp area and the Somerset Hills. The locals call it “The Big Hairy Man,” and he has even been spotted as far away as Hillside. According to eyewitness reports The Big Hairy Man stands about eight-feet tall and is covered with hair the color of a deer’s. He walks upright with a human gait, according to a bone specialist and a physical therapist who encountered the Big Hairy Man while taking a shortcut through the Great Swamp on Lord Stirling Road in a hurry to reach the airport.   They claimed the Big Hairy Man walked in front of their car and hopped the fence alongside the road. They could not see his face because he (or it) was looking down. These sightings, according to the Folklore Project in Bernardsville, have occurred for many years. We’ll finish up with a story about Big Red Eye:                             Not that I’m a big believer of urban legend and folklore, but I must tell you this story because after reading about The Big Red Eye in a recent issue, I got the chills! My wife and I live in Westwood now, but we’re formerly from Mahwah. One night, early last summer, we were walking our dog in our condo development (Paddington Square in Mahwah) and heard this guttural sound that scared us so much that we called the police. I’ve heard just about every animal noise imaginable and I’ve got to tell you this was the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. It wasn’t a dog, or bear, but it was big and angry, and had red eyes. I estimate it was roughly 30 yards from us. We were standing by a street light on the sidewalk. I told my wife to pick up the dog and go into the street and walk home slowly. I was shaking in my boots as I slowly backed up, keeping my eyes on the brush. We made it home and called the police, not once, but twice, to find out what the hell that thing was. They investigated but found nothing. To this day my wife and I wonder what it was.  –Mike V. So now with some cryptids out of the way, we have another creepy haunted road. Texas has shitloads of haunted bridges...Jersey has haunted roads, there's always something. This may be the greatest road name ever though. It is called Shades Of Death Road. Yes that's the real name. It’s a two-lane rural road of about 7 miles (11.2 km) in length weaving from farm country just off I-80 along a portion of Jenny Jump State Forest, riding the edge of the unofficially-but-aptly-named Ghost Lake. The road is the subject of folklore and numerous local legends.           One tale relating to murder says that the original inhabitants of the area surrounding Shades of Death were an unruly band of squatters. Often, men from this vile gang would get into fights over women, and the squabbles would result in the death of one of the participants. As the reputation of these murderous bandits grew, the area they inhabited was named “Shades of Death.” When the civilized world encroached on and disbanded the bandits, the last remnant of their control over the meadows was restricted to one road that retained the name they made famous. Another murder theory says that the road was originally known as “The Shades,” because of the low hanging trees which formed a canopy over the length of the street. Legend says that over time, many murders occurred there, and many stayed unsolved, causing local residents to add the sinister “of Death” twist to the formerly pleasant “Shades” name.       One of those legends is that many years ago, a car of teenagers was driving down a country road in Hackettstown, NJ after the prom. The road was slippery that night and it curved sharply to the left and right, winding into the dark. The driver lost control and the car crashed into a ditch killing one of the passengers. To this day, on dark and slippery nights, you can still see the girl who died wandering that murderous curve wearing her prom dress.         There are the stories of the random pillars of steam rising from the lake that people attribute to the souls of dead Indians that settlers tossed into the lake. The phenomena is also called The Great Meadows Fog. People claim to see the dead walking in the mist. The road was also the site of many deaths that were once attributed to a curse in the area. The deaths are also sometimes blamed on a plague caused by the waters in the lake, said to have been a malaria outbreak.  Lenape Lane is an unpaved one-lane dead-end street about three-quarter mile (1.1 km) in length running eastward off Shades just north of I-80. It ends at a farmhouse for which it is little more than a driveway, but halfway down there is space to park or turn around next to a wooden structure described as looking like an abandoned stable.                       Weird New Jersey writes that visitors to this stable site at night have reported extremely local fog surrounding it and seeing apparitions in it, or sometimes even in clear weather, and also claimed the air is sometimes unusually chilly, and feeling general unease in the area for no immediately apparent reason. An additional legend claims that sometimes nocturnal visitors to Lenape see an orb of white light appear near the end of the road which chases vehicles back out to Shades Of Death, and if it turns red in the process, those who see it will die. This may be due to an old tree near the end of Lenape that was never cut down when the road was built. As a result, the road forks right before the tree, and a big red reflector has been nailed to the tree to warn drivers. Another legend says that if one circles around the tree and drives down the road again at midnight, a red light will shine and the driver will never survive.                There are some legends concerning a Native American spirit guide who supposedly takes the shape of a deer and appears at various points along the road at night. If drivers see him and do not slow down sufficiently enough to avoid a collision, they will soon get into a serious accident with a deer.   Another legend tells of a bridge where, if drivers stop past midnight with their high beams on and honk their horns three times, they will see the ghosts of two young children who were run over while playing in the road. This legend actually refers to a bridge over the Flatbrook on Old Mine Road, not far from Shades of Death. The bridge is no longer accessible by car as a newer, larger bridge has been built next to it. The original bridge can still be reached on foot.   And then there are the polaroids. The site Weird NJ, which is all about weird stuff in New Jersey, and quite on the nose, has a page about Shades of Death Road. Now, if you go to their page for Shades of Death Road and check out the tags at the bottom of the page, you’ll see one that says “Polaroids” but the story article itself never mentions Polaroids. From what we could find, back in the 1990s, when Weird NJ was a magazine, they shared a story from two readers who claimed to have found hundreds of odd photos while checking out Shades of Death Road. Some of the Polaroids showed a TV on different channels, and others showed various women bound and apparently in distress. Weird NJ turned the photos over to the local police but after that the story kind of weirdly ends with the police supposedly losing the Polaroids. Were the Polaroids taken by a serial killer similar to that of the BTK Killer in Kansas? Or were they a hoax? The lack of any solid information on them, and the idea that the police lost hundreds of Polaroids makes most think hoax. Still, if you Google for Shades of Death Road Polaroids, some of the images will come up          Ok, how about some good old haunted buildings? Everyone loves haunted buildings, except pussies, they don't like haunted buildings. At any rate, first up is the so-called Spy House.            One of the most haunted houses in America is the Spy House, built in 1648, added on to and moved to its present day site. As a tavern during the Revolutionary war, it was frequented by British troops. The tavern owner would tell the Colonial troops about British plans of attack. For many years it was open to the public as a historical museum, but just a couple of years ago it was closed to the public. Quite simply, it is one of the most haunted houses in the country with not one but up to five different spirits haunting it. A female spirit dressed in white has been seen walking from room to room looking for her crying baby. A full bearded old sea captain is also known to roam the grounds and halls, and a small ghost of a boy has been seen peering out of windows. Even the infamous pirate Captain Morgan was known to hide treasure in the house's basement and conduct sordid business and tortures in the old house. He's been seen in a ghostly form threatening children and others who visited the museum. This ghostly activity has been going on for years.   The Spy House once touted 22 active ghosts. Longtime volunteer curator Gertrude Needlinger would show videos of the seances! In October, 1993, Neidlinger was locked out of the museum after a dispute with the Spy House Museum Corp. The board claimed she continued to lead ghost tours through the house, with visitors carrying lit candles and posing a fire hazard. In 1992, while it was still an antique-cluttered, spirit-infested treasure of the Jersey bayshore, 13 nights of ghost tours drew about 1,800 people. Gertrude, an elderly woman who, by most accounts, was a colorful character with a vivid imagination, would spin yarns of the house’s past, weaving in threads of ghosts and espionage as she walked visitors around the museum. Though most historians today bristle at the tales she told, they will admit that Neidlinger’s narratives gained quite a bit of attention for the house in the public’s eye. ghost stories that began to circulate about the Spy House soon became the primary focus of the homestead’s appeal, much to the chagrin of the local historians. Here's a couple tales of ghostly happenings:          Spy House Ghost Boy One morning my friend Dave’s parents went to visit the old Spy House Museum in Port Monmouth. They were there at the appointed opening time but the curator wasn’t there. After about a half hour of waiting they said “the hell with it,” and left. As they were getting back into their car, my friend’s father looked up and pointed out a kid about 10 or12-years-old, looking at them from the upstairs window. His dad said that the kid had on one of those puffy shirts that they used to wear in the old days. As they watched, he slowly backed away from the window. Just then the curator drove up and apologized for being late. They told her that they had seen a young boy in the upstairs window. She said no one is supposed to be in there. She opened the house up and together they searched the place, but found no one. –Ray     ROCKING CHAIR GHOST         On the way back from a very fun day at the water park in Keansburg, my dad decided to show my sister and myself the Spy House. When we got there we looked into the windows. It was extremely dark inside, and everything was locked. When we made it to the left side of the house my dad noticed something moving inside the house. I just shrugged it off as nothing, but then when I was looking in the same upstairs window I noticed that the rocking chair moved! I was scanning all the windows to see if I could see anything else unusual, and I clearly saw a man sitting in a rocking chair reading. It couldn’t have been a ranger because he was wearing old clothes and was sitting in the dark, reading, in a locked up house. We snapped a picture and ran, and as we pulled away, a ranger pulled up and unlocked the doors, so we assume it must have been a ghost. –Ali Creepy! Ringwood Manor According to the caretakers, Ringwood Manor is one of the most haunted places on the east coast. It has layer upon layer of legend, myth and folklore. The Native Americans would even call it the Haunted Woods. In fact, before the home was built, prehistoric artifacts were found on the grounds of Ringwood confirming Native American occupation of the site dating back to the Archaic and Woodlands periods of prehistory. These Munsee-speaking Lenape peoples lived in a hunting and farming paradise at the head of the “Topomopack” or Ringwood River Valley and traded with other natives in the Pompton area. The Lenapi recognized special earth forces at work here, and as long as their memory is, this has been sacred ground with supernatural occurrences attributed to the area. Perhaps it is the earth’s immense magnetism at Ringwood that affects all type of matter. It is said that the Highlands region was a gathering place for all of the diverse prehistoric Native Americans of the Northeast.   While the “forces” remain a mystery, it was known that there were lots of iron in the hills and valleys of Ringwood. As such, in 1742, the Ogden family established the Ringwood Company and built the first blast furnace to begin mining and selling the iron. By 1771, the last ironmaster of the American Iron Company, Robert Erskine, was sent from England. He would manage the company during the Revolutionary War. The iron mined at the site helped to supply the Continental Army with components of the chain system used to defend the Hudson River, camp ovens, and domestic tools and hardware.       After the war, Martin J. Ryerson purchased the historic ironworks in 1807 and began building the first section of the present Manor circa 1810. The home was a small, 10-room, Federal style building. In 1853, the Ryerson’s house and property were purchased by Peter Cooper. Cooper purchased the 19,000 acre site, which included the Long Pond ironworks area, for $100,000. Cooper’s iron business, Trenton Ironworks, was managed by his son Edward and his son’s business partner, Abram S. Hewitt. Additions to the Manor were constructed in 1864, 1875, 1900, and 1910. Eventually, the iron industry moved further west in America and Ringwood’s iron mines finally closed. In 1938, the Hewitt family donated Ringwood Manor and its contents to the State of New Jersey. Preserved as a historic house museum and State Park, Ringwood Manor and its grounds are excellent examples of Victorian wealth and lifestyle.   The Ringwood Manor Hauntings In total there are four different places that are said to be haunted. If you wander the halls of the Manor House at night, guests commonly meet the ghost of a servant known as Jackson White who haunts a small bedroom on the second floor. Legend states that in the early 1900’s Jackson worked as a servant for the family, but was caught stealing food from the pantry in the middle of the night. One of the white workers beat the man to death in this room. Many visitors have heard noises coming from the empty room – footsteps, sounds of heavy objects dropping, soft crying. And they keep finding the bedroom door ajar and the bed rumpled.   Behind the Manor pond is the grave where Owner/ General Robert Erskine is buried. The locals are afraid to come near the graves because at dusk General Erskine can be seen sitting on his grave gazing across the pond. The pond itself was created for a young woman known as Sally who can also be seen around the graves. She meets guests with music as well as flowery fragrances. The French Soldiers Also near Erskine it is said there is an unmarked grave filled with the remains of French soldiers who fought during the Revolutionary War. During the day, all you can see is a depression in the grass near the General’s grave. But it is believed that, at night, when the lights are out and the moon hangs brightly over the manor, the dead return to walk around the pond, and gaze over the shore in search of their loved ones. Sometimes, you can hear soft, sad voices speaking in French.   The last haunting is the grounds itself which were said to hold an ancient Indian burial ground. When the house was build over these remains, along came a curse and haunting which was resulting in various strange occurrences to visitors who say that a dark energy can be felt. Others claim that spirits come home with them. Sounds fun!   "A purported meeting place for the KKK, notorious suicide site and rumored gateway to the depths of hell".         This was the first description of The Devil's Tree that we found, kind of had to put it in. While it's not exactly a building, Thrillest named The devil's tree one of the most haunted places in America and the most haunted in New Jersey! the Devil's Tree is infamous among locals and has evolved into a chilling tourist attraction," according to Thrillist. "Legend has it, anyone who harms the tree will suffer swift and violent retribution — so naturally, it has become a tradition for ballsy teens across the Garden State to pee on its trunk.             The infamous tree stands alone in an open field off Mountain Road in Bernards Township right on the border of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater and continues to draw in thrill seekers from all over the Garden State and beyond.           Legend has it that the tree has been cursed since as far back as the 1920s when a group of KKK members were rumored to hold cross burnings and hangings off the limbs of the tree.       Basking Ridge historian, or also known as mrlocalhistory.org, Brooks Betz confirmed there was in fact an active KKK clan located just down the road on the Bridgewater side near Route 202/206 and Brown Road, where the Hindu temple now stands. However, the clan activities have not been proven.         "One of the different rumors is that one of the guys, a grand wizard of the clan, who owned the property in Bridgewater would hold a series of KKK activity and cross burnings. And instead of doing it on the Bridgewater property they did it on the tree. There were tales of lynching and cross burning. But nothing was substantiated," Betz said.        Another rumor revolves around a farmer — who lived in the white farmhouse that had stood adjacent to the tree — who murdered his entire family at the home and then hung himself on the tree.        Betz said there is no record of the murders ever being reported.       "The property then laid dormant until the 1960s when a couple of local kids invented a story about a rogue white pickup truck that would come up over the hill and kill you," Betz said.          Betz said he spoke with one of those boys later on who told him that they made up the story and drove the "haunted" pickup in an attempt to keep people off the property so they could hang out and drink by the tree.         The tree has since been called "a portal to hell" because of all the rumors.         "Supposedly anyone who tries to cut down the unholy oak comes to an untimely end, as it is now cursed. It is said that the souls of those killed at the spot give the tree an unnatural warmth, and even in the dead of winter no snow will fall around it," Betz wrote in a piece about the tree years ago.         The tree gained much more attention after Weird NJ published a story on the tree in 2012.       To this day, thrill seekers come out to the tree and try to press their luck and see if they end up cursed.      Some try to touch the tree, while others pee on it or try to cut it or burn it down. You can still see the ax and burn marks permanently branded onto the tree. Many took pieces of the bark as a souvenir or proof they were at the tree.      With much commotion surrounding the tree the township designated the area a park where the field and tree are now sanctioned and protected. The tree has a protective chain link fencing around the trunk and the park remains closed with Bernards Township Police patrolling the area for trespassers.         Betz noted that there is "some element of truth" when you look at the rumors "but when you dig deeper" it doesn't all check out.         "Was there a clan there? Yeah. A white truck? Yeah. There were no hangings proven," Betz said. "You decide for yourself. Is it real? Is there any truth to it? Or is just some tree. You decide." How about another road? INDIAN CURSE ROAD Route 55 has a long history of curious occurrences.   Home state HauntingsIn March of 1983, the Department Of Transportation started construction on a field just off Route 47 in Deptford, between Mantua and Franklin Township, to build a new 7.2 mile stretch of Route 55. Two months later mysterious deaths began to befall the workers involved with the project.   “All they had to do was detour around the field maybe three or four miles and nothing would have happened,” said Carl Pierce in a newspaper article at the time. Pierce, or Sachem Wayandaga, the chief and medicine man of the Delaware Indians, said the land was an ancient Indian burial ground, and therefore sacred.   “I told them what would happen if they didn’t stop the desecration, Pierce was quoted as saying. “The damage is done. The problem is I feel sorry for some of the people who will be traveling that road in the future.”   The first unfortunate incident was that of a 34-year-old worker who was run over by an asphalt roller truck. Another worker fell to his death when he was working on an overpass, swept up by unexpected high winds that had apparently come out of nowhere.   Soon after those incidents, an inspector fell dead on the job from a brain aneurysm. Other workers, or members of their families, suffered strange maladies. One worker’s feet turned black, while other workers’ family members developed cancer. Then a van carrying five Department Of Transportation employees caught fire and blew up. The parents of killed asphalt worker died during the first week of construction, and a brother and father of another worker died that same week.   A D.O.T. employee, who asked not to be identified because he fears the curse, said that Karl Kruger, the site engineer for the project, would often speak about the curse, and the coincidence of the events. The employee informed Weird N.J. that Mr. Kruger had died of cancer shortly thereafter. Yet another victim of the curse? DEVILS TOWER The Devil's Tower was built in 1910 by a millionaire sugar importer named Manuel Rionda. Before it received the name Devil's Tower, it was formerly known as Rio Vista. According to reporting from Forbes, the tower was built and dedicated to Rionda’s wife, Harriet Rionda, who was buried on nearby land but later moved to Brookside Cemetery, Englewood. Rumor has it that Mr. Rionda built the tower for his wife so she could look out at the New York City skyline. Others believe he built it as a mausoleum or for religious purposes. But, even with Mrs. Rionda’s death and later Mr. Rionda’s death in the mid 1900’s, many believe Harriet Rionda’s spirit still lives on at the tower.   The tower was connected to Rionda’s home by an underground tunnel. According to the local legend story, his wife was looking out of the tower when she saw Manuel with another woman. While she may have suspected infidelity for years, according to reporting from New Jersey Magazine, distraught from the site, she jumped off the tower, killing herself. Since her rumored suicide, there have been many reports of hauntings, including people who have said they have been pushed by something unseen. Others have reported strange noises and because of this, Manuel locked up the tower, filled in the tunnel connecting the home to the tower and even removed the elevator leading to the top of the tower proclaiming, “Nobody will ever go up here again,” according to reporting from Try To Scare Me.   Since that time, people have started calling it Devil's Tower. Witnesses report still hearing noises and smelling perfume, while at other times you can hear a scream as the wife jumps from the tower or a workman falls from it. Her ghostly spirit has also been seen as a shadowy figure in the windows.   Some have said that if you drive or walk backward around the tower a certain number of times, the devil or Manuel's wife appears.   Devil’s Tower and the spirit surrounding it clearly seems to be here for good, keeping a dark cloud around the rich community of Alpine. Even after Mr. Rionda’s death there were plans to demolish the tower by the Town but activities were halted and eventually aborted after several workers fell to their death.     BURLINGTON COUNTY PRISON The Burlington County Prison is a historic museum property, located next to the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. Operating from 1811 to 1965, it was the oldest prison in the nation at the time of its closure. The imposing structure was designed by Robert Mills, considered to be the first native-born American trained as an architect. Mills may be most famous for his government buildings and monuments, including the Treasury Building (featured on the back of the 10-dollar bill) and the Washington Monument, but he also designed several courthouses, churches, and prisons.  The Burlington County Prison, built with 18-inch-thick walls made of stone and brick, was designed to hold 40 inmates. When it opened, the penitentiary didn’t have electricity or running water; it was the first prison in the U.S. constructed to be fireproof, and each cell was heated by a wood-burning fireplace. The first floor, for perpetrators of less severe crimes, had larger windows than the second, which held more serious offenders. A maximum-security cell (known as “the dungeon”) located on the top floor is flanked by niches for additional guards and has a steel ring on the floor to which a prisoner could be chained. In 1876, five men punched a hole through the ceiling of their prison cell, located on the top floor of Burlington County Prison. Four of the men slipped through the hole onto the roof, climbed down a woodpile, and over the prison yard wall to freedom. The fifth man, upset that he was too large to fit through the small opening, didn’t wait long before he snitched on his cellmates. The warden responded immediately to the alarm, but only two of the four escapees were ever caught and returned to the prison. The early laws of NJ required that prisoners convicted of capital crimes had to be executed by the county in which they were convicted. Except for two of the earliest executions in the 1830s (one of which was a woman, the other a young man named Joel Clough), public hangings took place in the prison yard, on gallows erected for each event. The first two mentioned were carried out on public lands at a crossroads a few miles from the prison, and from contemporary accounts, drew quite a crowd. According to records, Joel’s body was later buried in the prison yard in a corner where a large tree now grows. It is believed his ghost is the principle haunt.   Besides the executions, other violent deaths took place at the prison. During the 1920s some inmates managed to escape, making their way through the lowest level. They encountered a trustee near the kitchen and murdered him. A few decades later practically the same scenario occurred, with a second guard being killed in the same corridor.   The last execution to take place at Burlington County Prison was a double bill in March of 1906. Two men, Rufus Johnson and George Small, were executed just two months after their crime. They had murdered an English-born governess at a refuge for homeless children in Moorestown.  Joel Clough had been arrested and convicted of the stabbing death of a woman in Bordentown—apparently she had jilted him. Though he managed to escape, the 29 year old Clough was quickly recaptured and confined to the Death Cell on the upper floor of the prison. A brochure given out at the museum describes the maximum security cell this way:       The “dungeon”, or maximum-security cell, was in the center of the top floor. That location was carefully chosen to prevent escape by digging, to minimize communication with criminals in the cell blocks, and to ensure constant surveillance by guards making rounds. This was the only cell without a fireplace. It is flanked by niches for guards or visitors and has one very high, very small window and an iron ring in the center of the floor to which the prisoner could be chained. As one might expect, tradition states that this cell is haunted.   Policy of the time was to chain the condemned to a ring on the floor, naked. Accordingly, Joel’s spirit has been heard moaning and languishing there, and electro-magnetic indicators (used in ghost hunting) routinely register a “hit.” The Death Cell, complete with its metal ring, and all the “accommodations” at the prison, welcome inspection, and in many cases prisoner graffiti has been preserved on the walls.   The Prison now is a Historic Landmark and a nice museum, a fascinating place to learn about prison life. It still holds a few entities who don’t want to leave. This became evident when in 1999 renovation work began on the run-down building, in order to create this museum for the public. MANIFESTATIONS The Prison now is a Historic Landmark and a nice museum. It still holds a few entities who choose to stay here. There is much psychic research done to support this haunting of the old prison. Thanks the North and South Jersey Paranormal Research groups. In a joint effort, they investigated this prison with video, photos, EVP equipment and came up with some interesting results.   During the renovation work, workmen experienced some paranormal activities. They were treated to loud noises, voices and screams from their new friends – The entities who stayed behind. The workers would find their tools missing and later found on another floor or other location much later in the day. Because the workers were uneasy being the last ones in the building, they started to leave early, prompting the officials to call in the South Jersey Ghost Research team to confirm or deny the claims of the now scared workers, in order to ease their minds. Dave Juliano of theShadowlands.net was in on these early investigations and saw first hand evidence. This was the first of several investigations.   An apparition was seen in the shower area, and a foot print in the dust was found there as well.  The Maximum Security Cell – Haunted by entity or entities who spent their last nights here before being hanged. David Juliano observed with his team that a stretcher next to the maximum security cell moved by itself, and that the movement sensors were set off by a force in the cell itself.   Susan Bove (SJPR) meditates in the “Death Row” cell while two orbs move past.   The gallows which are on display are haunted by the condemned. Possible candidates may include convicted murderers Rufus Johnson and George Small, as well as others who were executed here. Got to love old prisons and asylums! And speaking of asylums… We don't have one...I know I know, but all of the reportedly haunted asylums that sounded awesome to us have been demolished, and honestly… What's the point then? Here's some quick guys for you guys since there's so many things we could cover:  Probably one of the more popular urban legends, the Atco Ghost is said to appear when drivers honk three times on Burnt Mill Road in the Pine Barrens. Legend has it that the ghost boy haunts the site where he was struck by a drunk driver.  The Hindenburg disaster occurred on May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township. The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. On board were 97 people; there were 36 fatalities. Though the disaster took place 77 years ago, some say that reverberations of the tragic event, of a paranormal nature, can still be felt around the Lakehurst Naval Base to this day––especially in Hangar No. 1.  Ok so there you have some of the creepy things we could find in Jersey. Honestly there's a fucking ton more, but… we saved the craziest,creepiest, and possibly the most tragic story we could find for last. Mad science, murder, and a lasting presence in new Jersey, make this the craziest story you may have ever heard. It goes like this: Rumors had started circulating around the creepy plain building in Hudson county in New Jersey. It sat by itself and seemingly none ever went in or came out. No one knew who owned it or what it purpose was. That is until a mysterious fire gutted the building one night in 1974. After the fire was put out investigators quickly depot in and started to gather what was left and sweep it away without letting anyone see what was there. However, they were not as through as they thought and left behind some interesting evidence that was find by curious townsfolk checking out the site after the fire. As much as could be piecedd together goes like this. Apparently the government owned the building. After WW2 the government brought over Nazi scientists with operation paperclip. Well it looks like this building in Jersey played host to several of the worst. The files showed the scientist were working on some sort of biological weapon and also animal experimentation to train small animals to be weapons. They experimented with mice, rats, possums, raccoons, squirrels, moles, groundhogs, and other small animals trying to find ways to train them to deliver explosives and other biological weapons. When the fire started there were many animals that escaped. Most of them were near death due to mistreatment. But a local family stumbled across possibly the most disturbing pair of animals to have been tested on and experimented with. These two animals, a male and female raccoon, showed many disturbing characteristics that trains should not have. They acted almost human like and communicated with a series of sounds that seemed like their own sort of language. They had very little fur left except on their heads. The couple put it done food for them and the raccoons are the food and then took off. Nobody else saw these two raccoons but there's compelling and creepy evidence that they existed. Wandering the streets of Jersey today you may find yourself in some unsavory places. Within these unsavory places is where you can find the evidence of these raccoons existence. While you may run into many normal raccoons, you may also run into raccoons that are essentially… Human. They walk, talk and wear leather jackets. They are tough and will not hesitate to cut you as many of them carry switchblades. They generally have bad attitudes but have been known on occasion to help you out if you are being threatened by someone from the family Pepitone.  These raccoons are said to be the direct descendants of the two raccoons that escaped from that burning building so many years ago. So when you're in Jersey the takes warn to beware the raccoons! Well there you have it, our first installment of creepy Jersey! There will be another at someone as we've found so many cool creep places and things in Jersey. Because if its age and location there's a ton of really cool historical places there and events that took place there. We recommend checking out the history of the state. While it may have a reputation as being the garbage dump of the United States, there's actually alot to love, especially if you like creepy and haunted…. And raccoons!                               

WINGS for Growth presents "Showing up as a leader" with Michele Siekerka. Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), leads the nation's largest, most influential employers' organization. In this episode, Michele talks about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and her journey of leadership experiences that shaped her to be who she is today. She is one of the most influential leaders in the state of New Jersey (NJ). She says showing up as a leader during a business crisis is about knowing where people are and being empathetic while holding them accountable.Quotes:You cannot fake passion. It is about preparation and confidence, which shows your commitment to whatever you are doing.   What does not kill you makes you stronger.Women are innately entrepreneurial. To be an employer from being an employee, you need vision, dream but most importantly, you need a plan and cabinet of advisers.  Seize the day; something good happens every day.  To recover gracefully from mishaps, lean In, listen, reset, and own it. Guest Bio:Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., President & CEO of the NJBIA, advocates on behalf of NJ's large & small businesses for policies that will make NJ more affordable & regionally competitive. Under Siekerka's leadership, NJBIA's award-winning research on outmigration documented the loss of $24 billion in wealth from NJ over 12 years & set the agenda in Trenton for the enactment of a series of important pro-business reforms.Siekerka has been at the forefront of efforts to build more effective workforce development alliances in NJ between academia, business & government. The NJBIA Postsecondary Education Task Force's yearlong study of NJ's highest-in-the-nation millennial outmigration produced a 13-point action plan that is driving policymakers' discussions on how to retain our future workforce.Siekerka came to NJBIA in 2014 from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), where she last served in the critical position of Deputy Commissioner.  At DEP, Siekerka's role was key in restoring NJ after Superstorm Sandy: coordinating funding, outreach & resources to rebuild environmental infrastructure.An attorney by trade, Siekerka was the president & CEO of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, Sr. legal counsel & VP of human resources with the Automobile Association of America, & a partner in a Mercer County law firm.  She is also on the board of directors of Investors Bancorp; The NJ Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors; Choose NJ; the NJ Innovation Institute and Junior Achievement of NJ. About WINGS:Hope you like what you heard. Give us your feedback and let us know what are other topics you like to hear about. Follow us on:LinkedInFacebookTwitterInstagram Sign up to be a WINGS Mentee or Mentor at www.wingsforgrowth.org. Many women reach the cusp of leadership and never make the leap. WINGS is strategically positioned to serve this population. 1st woman founded nonprofit, academically-backed, High-Touch, Results-Oriented, 10-month leadership program that fosters mindset and behavior which leads to systematic change. WINGS's - accelerates thousands more women toward leadership roles in a way that's never been done before.Sign up to be a WINGS Mentee or Mentor at www.wingsforgrowth.org 

ASHA von LIEBTAG, Ed.M./ M.A: Founder of Lit to Liberate LLC, Educational Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Teacher Mentor CONTACT INFO: asha@littoliberate.com website: www.littoliberate.com Asha von Liebtag is certified within the state of New Jersey as an English supervisor and teacher of English, K-12, with pending Principal Certificate of Eligibility. With a Bachelors in English, an Ed.M. in English Education, and a M.A. in Educational Leadership, she served over a decade teaching English literature curriculum in Blue Ribbon schools ranked in the top 20 in New Jersey and in the top 500 nationally according to the US News and World Report. With experience teaching in charter and public, Abbott and affluent, middle and high school settings in classes ranging from modified, college prep, honors and AP Literature, she uses evidence-based curriculum and data analysis to improve teaching, learning, and instructional methods that promote student achievement and academic rigor in accordance with NJSLS Standards. She has developed English literature curriculum for high school and has created academic coaching curriculum for a private educational organization to help support and transition 1st year college students through virtual schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, Asha von Liebtag has worked with Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education in the capacity of a Teacher Portfolio Coach where she evaluates teacher portfolios and provides direct feedback that enables aspiring English teachers to become certified by the state of New Jersey. She became trained to serve as a teacher mentor for the 2019-2020 school year and mentored new high school English teacher(s) as part of Diverse Teachers for Diverse Schools (DTDS) initiative of the Center for Effective School Practices at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education in partnership with the NJ Department of Education. Moreover, this award-winning educational leader also uses her public speaking skills to provide professional development workshops to teachers and interactive motivational talks to students. Her most recent presentations include the 3rd Annual Convening for Diversifying the Teacher Workforce hosted by Rutgers Graduate School of Education and NJEA's 2020 Teacher Convention. She loves presenting on topics relating to culturally responsive teaching and is passionate about exploring ways to be a highly effective teacher in an English literature classroom. She works tirelessly to develop motivational content that embeds literary skills into interactive talks, incorporates her personal narrative to relate to the students, and she caters all presentations to suit the school's needs by providing each school with a questionnaire to learn about their student populations.

After being rejected by people and never fitting in, she turned to God & spirituality. Whenever Aleechea felt misunderstood, the Lord spoke to her and said, “It is not meant for people to understand you, know that I understand & have chosen you.” Rev. Pitts currently serves The Millville Police Department as the first Afro-American female Police Chaplain. She is also the Lead Chaplain of Millville Memorial High School & most recently Staff Chaplain (Volunteer) of NJ Department of Corrections. In her words, “I live a life of servitude & leading by example is my most effective means of leading others.” Grab her book Let It Go for Your Sake! Forgive https://amzn.to/39RYThw { affiliate link} --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/chatsfromtheblogcabin/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chatsfromtheblogcabin/support

Grace Ibitamuno is a scholar and a MD/PhD candidate at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Grace is a health policy researcher, with specialized knowledge about culturally competent care that addresses the complex needs of children with autism, and related disabilities. She also has an appointment as an adjunct. Additionally, she has been a LEND (Leadership & Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Fellow, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Fellow, and NJ Department of Health Fellow. She has also published a novel, “Not Yet Beautiful”about human trafficking. You can check out her Tedx talk on resiliency and her education journey on YouTube. Ms. Ibitamuno is a recipient of the highly coveted Executive Women of New Jersey (EWNJ) Graduate Student Award. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/StateofEducation/support

Speakers: Dr. Daniel Varga, Chief Physician Executive, Hackensack Meridian Health Dr. David Adinaro, Deputy Commissioner, NJ Department of Health --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/techunited/message

Tune in for an insightful conversation about social cognition, neuroscience and the importance of representation for women in STEM with Dr. Helen Genova. She is the assistant director of the Kessler Foundation's Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and director of the Social Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory. Recently, she was awarded a grant from the NJ Department of Health for a research project that aimed to better prepare autistic adolescents for job interviews. In the study, the young adults were talented and hardworking, but it was often the initial hurdle of having a career-oriented conversation that was challenging.

During this Modestly Outspoken episode, we speak with Cristina Pinzon, Founder and CEO of Stateside Affairs, a minority and woman-owned public relations consultancy company, and Maria Del Cid, Coordinator of the Latino Caucus under the NJ Democratic State Committee and Director of Policy and Legislative Services at the NJ Department of Health. They join us to talk about what they do to advocate and help the Latino community strive for better while being the only Latino women in the room. They emphasize the challenges of mail-in voting, how our young bilingual speakers can get involved during this process, how we can drive change in our communities, and the marketing techniques they are using to target specific communities and encourage the young vote. Watch it on YouTube: Modestly Outspoken Want to get involved? Check out www.njdems.org and find the volunteering opportunity that is right for you! Want to get involved in the Democratic Latino Caucus of NJ? Email Latinos@njdems.org to stay engaged with Cristina and Maria! Passionate about marketing and design, with interest in public service? Stay tuned for an internship opportunity coming soon!

On the fourth episode of Service in Practice, Mora Sorial shares her insight on serving individuals with diverse needs. She discusses how to cater to various learning abilities, emphasizing the need to communicate the message of love above all else, and pointing to examples of teaching methods that Christ used. Mora also addresses the stigma that can sometimes manifest in discussions about diverse needs. She encourages parents and servants to approach the topic with an open mind, stressing that when necessary, provisions for those with special needs can truly transform their learning and confidence. As promised in the episode, here are some pertinent resources: 1. A resource for parents and educators about supporting children with special needs: https://www.understood.org/ 2. NJ Department of Education Code for Special Education: https://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/title6a/chap14.pdf 3. A booklet summarizing the rights for parents with regards to special education services in NJ: https://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise.pdf 4. The same booklet, in Arabic: https://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise_ar.pdf Please feel free to get in touch with any questions by emailing serviceinpractice1@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

Welcome to the Rock Your World Naturally (RYWN) podcast! In this episode of RYWN, Rekishia McMillan interviews Reverend Aleechea Pitts, fondly known as “Pastor Pitts.” She is the founder of Paulean Ministries, a 4 time author, Christian speaker, mentor and active listening practitioner (chaplain), etc. After being rejected by people and never fitting in, she turned to God & spirituality. Whenever Aleechea felt misunderstood, the Lord spoke to her and said, “It is not meant for people to understand you, know that I understand and have chosen you.” In this interview Pastor Pitts talks about one of her current roles as she serves The Millville Police Department as the first Afro-American female Police Chaplain. She is also the Lead Chaplain of Millville Memorial High School & most recently Staff Chaplain (Volunteer) of NJ Department of Corrections. In her words, “I live a life of servitude & leading by example is my most effective means of leading others.” She has appeared as a guest on Flashpoint with Cherri Gregg (KYW Newsradio), The Corrie Lo Show, Between the Lines Empowerment Network, Wove Inspiration, Perspective Transformers, Forgiveness Across the Nation, Conversation with Stevii on iHeart Radio, Business Mastery Summit and many others, in addition to hosting her own podcast: AP Live, Live Inspired! Other media mentions include: Joyous Expansion Podcast, Press of Atlantic City, Wilmington Public Library, SNJ Today with Isaiah Showell & Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT). Pastor Pitts resides in Millville, where she is a devoted parent to her beautiful daughter, along with her fur baby. You’ll be blessed, encouraged and inspired as you listen to the wisdom shared by Pastor Pitts. Discover More About Pastor Pitts by Visiting her Websites => https://www.twitter.com/aleecheapitts https://www.facebook.com/aleecheapittsauthor https://www.instagram.com/revaleechea https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1981848355 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086VTWC24 Find Rekishia online at: www.RockYourWorldNaturally.com and follow her on Facebook and LinkedIn @RockYourWorldNaturally on Instagram @RockYourWorldNaturally, and on Twitter @RockYourWorld28 Get Rekishia’s latest books Rock Your World Naturally: 7 Divine Keys to Unlock Extraordinary Health & the companion Journal, 28-Days and Beyond Wellness Journal https://www.rockyourworldnaturally.com/rywn-the-book

I've invited Senior Investigator with the NJ Department of Corrections, Ali Mcbride to speak about maintaining his African consciousness while working in the prison system. We also spoke about the school to prison pipeline and how to help children avoid the correction system. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rkhty/support

Love this quote from Erika, " Creativity is seeing things differently and being better able to live with uncertainty".  Erika Sage Kelley is an advocate for positive mental health. In her role as Director for NJ’s early childhood advisory council with the NJ Department of Education, she sits on various work groups that support the work of early childhood professionals and educators in building relationships with students and families and ensuring they have access to services and programs that support their mental health. Erika is also a published writer and poet. As an Arts Education Facilitator, she leads workshops using creative expression, which have helped workshop participants process trauma and promote healing in a safe, group environment.   She mentioned a wonderful game that she plays with her teenagers and younger son to have them open up and talk more freely, check out the site:  Cards: https://www.werenotreallystrangers.com Cards: https://shop.theskindeep.com   Here are ways to connect with Erika to see more of her work:  Blog: http://sagecreativecorner.blogspot.com IG: @erikasagekelley FB: Erika Sage Cards: https://www.werenotreallystrangers.com Cards: https://shop.theskindeep.com   Please share, like and follow

Desha Jackson has an impressive and extensive resume working in government, most notably at the NJ Department of Law and Public Safety Office of the Attorney General as a Deputy Attorney General (DAG) assigned to the Office of State Police Affairs from 2002-2007. This office was created by the 1999 consent decree between the State New Jersey and the United States Department of Justice which addressed the issues of racial profiling. As a DAG she primarily served as the prosecutor in disciplinary proceedings against New Jersey State Troopers. She also served as the Assistant Director of the Equal Employment Division of the New Jersey Department of Corrections where she assisted in investigations of corrections officers and staff discrimination complaints, provided advice with regard to equal employment issues, as well as provided training to employees about the anti-discrimination policy and procedures. Desha also worked as a legal assistant at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in 1997 before becoming the first African-American female Assistant Prosecutor to be hired at the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in its 150-year history. Desha talks very candidly about her personal experience as an African American woman, her experience working on racial discrimination in law enforcement and insights on how to provide more effective training to prevent racial profiling. Desha is a huge supporter of creating a safe environment for law enforcement and the public and has progressive ideas about how to provide a better climate for the divide between law enforcement and the public in our current society. Desha also talks about her personal experience growing up, and how her childhood experiences impact her today - and her big plans for the future that do not involve being a lawyer.

Health Coach Julio Cortés With Tips on Staying Well -- Just When We Need Them Most Julio Cortés, of Mind and Body 360, is a health coach and consultant who helps clients create the life they desire by evaluating and balancing key areas including stress levels, fuel, sleep, movement, and recovery. He draws from having studied with numerous health and wellness experts, extensive martial arts training, and his time spent training others in a corporate environment in Japan. As a longtime activist, he is particularly interested in helping others engaged in activism to maintain their energy and wellbeing. Though this interview was recorded before the scope of the coronavirus pandemic was in full view, the conversation is apropos as we try to keep up our health and spirits worldwide. Co-hosts Wendy Sheridan, Robin Renée, and Mary McGinley open the show with Three Random Facts and the News. Not much news feels relevant beyond coronavirus and the social distancing necessary to slow its spread. The Peace Corp has suspended activities and Donald Trump offered a large sum to Germany to secure exclusive access to a vaccine for the United States. The mood lightens a little with the mention of "wonder plant" seedlings being planted in Wales. The random facts celebrate National Awkward Moments Day, National Introverts Week, and marvel at a Smurf rally in Landerneau, France. Later in The Blanket Fort, Mary, Wendy, and Robin hide out from coronavirus and talk about getting oriented toward working from home. There is much more to the complete conversation, which is available for free on the Leftscape Patreon page. Things to do: Wash your hands, stay safe, help keep others safe, and shelter in place if needed. If you are in New Jersey, stay aware by visiting the NJ Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard. Stay aware via the World Health Organization. Watch Julio Cortés' video, "Eat that frog!" Read The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Relax with the Good News Network. Watch "World record-breaking Smurf gathering takes place in France": httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s85xG9Ol3Po&feature=youtu.be *No one who appears in this episode is a doctor and opinions expressed do not constitute medical advice. If you have questions or concerns regarding your health, consult a medical professional.

I invited Senior Investigator with the NJ Department of Corrections, Ali McBride to speak about maintaining his African consciousness while working in the prison system. We also spoke about the school to prison pipeline and If we could help our children avoid the prison system.

The NJ Department of Education is setting a transgender policy in schools and is excluding the parents from it all.

Aruna Rao will be presenting at this years In My Mind Conference held in October in New York: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-in-my-mind-peoples-of-color-mental-health-conference-registration-43936929539Aruna Rao is a community mental health advocate, grassroots organizer, speaker and writer. She is currently an Associate Director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Jersey (NAMI NJ). Aruna is the founder of SAMHAJ, the first program in the USA to provide support and education for South Asian Americans affected by mental illness. She has been instrumental in developing programs for immigrants affected by mental illness in New Jersey, and her efforts have resulted in NAMI NJ receiving the 2014 Advancing Minority Mental Health Award from the American Psychiatric Foundation. Her work in mental health has been recognized by the World Malayalee Council NJ Chapter, the NJ Department of Transportation Asian American Heritage Committee and Lions Club NJ. She received the 2014 Agraj Seva Kendra NotableIndian Americans of New Jersey Award, the 2011 South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) Changemaker Award, the 2003 Leadership Award from the NJ Asian American Association for Human Services, and the 2002 National Multicultural Outreach Award from NAMI. She has served on the NAMI Diversity & Inclusion Workgroup and the National Institute of Mental health (NIMH) Outreach Partner Steering Committee. She makes frequent presentations on mental health to community and professional groups.As the proud mother of a queer and transgender child, Aruna is passionate about advancing LGBTQ+ rights. She recognizes the urgent need for family acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in API and South Asian communities and is dedicated to creating a loving, inclusive world where LGBTQ+ people are welcomed into community spaces. Aruna serves on the steering committee of API Rainbow Parents of PFLAG NYC, and is the founder of Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies, a group developed to support South Asian parents of LGBTQ+ children. She speaks about family acceptance in community and professional settings and has been featured on podcasts and in newspaper articles.

Tim Schuster gives us The Bottom Line when host Dave Plaskow recently received a NJ Department of Labor questionnaire concerning some freelance writing assignments from a couple of years ago. 

This weeks episode my guest is Karen Chaplin. Karen is an independent Education Management Professional. She was the former County Supervisor of Education for Essex and Passaic counties, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, the Coordinator of Regional Post-Release Programs, GED Program Director at the Jamesburg New Jersey Training School for Boys, and special education instructor for the severely disabled in the NJ Department of Corrections. She started her life as an educator as a 4th grade and middle school teacher, specializing in reading. She sits on numerous Boards bringing her educational expertise to the organizations and communities that she serves. Karen Chaplin earned a BS in Education at Lesley University and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership at the College of New Jersey. She is proud to have been married for 36 years to Chuck Chaplin, , and to be the mother of two awe- some children her daughter Beverly  and her son Eddie. Find out  What enabled Karen to follow her passion  How you can be unstoppable in pursuing your dream - learn this mantra What we can do as parents and people in the community to support our children’s education   Why advocacy is so important in education and the various ways Karen advocates for young people  Karen’s three biggest life lessons    Connect with Karen:  Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-chaplin-1a203112/   She’s Got Drive is produced by Cassandra Voltolina and music by Blonde. Artwork by Natasha Merrifield  Listen on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher and Google Play and SoundCloud    Mentioned in this episode : SHE'S GOT DRIVE  is produced by Cassandra Voltolina and music by awesome female band Blonde. Artwork by Natasha Merrifield  Listen on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher and Google Play and SoundCloud      Join the She's Got Drive Tribe on Facebook Community Page Connect with me on Instagram :@shirleymcalpine To go to the She's Got Drive Facebook page    

From Las Vegas to Parkland, Florida, the frequency of active shooter events across the United States has increased over the past few years. The various individuals, locations, and motives that make up these incidents highlight how they can take place anywhere and at any time. Understanding the best ways to respond to active shooter situations can help save lives. Join Ed Moore, NJOHSP’s Active Shooter Trainer, and Ben Castillo, Director of the NJ Department of Education’s Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning, as they discuss the efforts being taken in New Jersey to prepare for such events, options available to those involved in active shooter situations, and available resources and trainings provided by the State and other agencies.

Margate residents want a stop to the dangerous, harmful and un-needed dune work on their beaches. Packed house this morning, inside special Margate Commissioner Meeting at Old City Hall. Commissioners will hire outside counsel to file injunction against the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corp of Engineers. Jordan Rand of Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg will represent the city. “Stop the project until the ARMY CORP can prove competence” The Army Corps of Engineers and DEP have pumped out most of the contaminated water from the drainage gully. The water has been pumped to the other side of dune. Suffering irreparable harm. Will Margate sue for damages? Pumping contaminated water into the surf. Margate & Ventnor beach patrols have to patrol hidden areas behind the dunes. One Margate lifeguard has been home sick , reportedly from a bacterial infection caused by the contaminated water. Bulldoze the whole stupid dune system. Stop the Army Corp from wasting taxpayer dollars. Nobody wants this....except for a small handful of Jersey politicians, Ventnor Commissioners, contractors and insiders. “There’s nothing more important than our beach,” said Margate Commissioner Maury Blumberg Mayor Becker. “I want this project stopped immediately.” Margate plans to file an injunction on Thursday in Superior Court in Atlantic County. Local politicos; Frank Lobiondo, Chris Brown & Vince Mazzeo....have yet to step up and voice their opposition to this project. All three are invisible. Ventnor commissioners are still pro-dune....at this point. Margate biz has 14 weeks to make money. Store traffic is down. Restaurant traffic is down. Worries about property values and ratables. Summer rental business is way off. Who da thunk it? The real threat to Margate & other shore towns isn't stormy waters & mother nature... but... it's the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers is destroying Margate, in order to save it. Rep Frank Lobiondo sits on the House committee that funds the ACOE, who in turn contracts out with the State and local gov'ts and the private contractors that do the work. This project is being funded with Federal dollars. Rep Lobiondo got the ACOE to do Margate first and during the summer instead of Ventnor, where he is a resident, (wink, wink) because something broke. One nasty storm in 50 years. This was the opening for Mr Christy & Mr Lobiondo to make the case, for a one size fits all dune dump. Pumping out the dirty water is a short term fix. When it rains, it’s going to happen again. The incompetence of the Army Corp of Engineers is beyond comprehension. Any high school kid knows what will happen when dunes are built by digging out sand from behind. The number of lawyers in Margate should file multiple law suits in State and federal courts. Bring the media here and expose the sham and stupidity of those who approved this. Follow the money. What reporter wants this story?

11th Annual Symposium for Grantees How to Use Data to Drive Evaluation and Improve Employment Practices and Outcomes "Employment Data Can Strengthen Your Practice" - presented by Kathy Krepcio Executive Director and Senior Researcher, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Bios: Rodger DeRose Rodger L. DeRose is president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. Under his leadership, the rehabilitation research and grant program divisions were integrated into one organization combining Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation and the Henry H. Kessler Foundation. Elizabeth Connolly was appointed by Governor Chris Christie as the NJ Department of Human Services Acting Commissioner on February 28, 2015. She has worked in various roles at the Department since 1988, most recently, as Chief of Staff. She began her career in the Department’s Division of Family Development and worked in child welfare reform as Director of Data Analysis and Reporting in the Office of Children’s Services. Ms. Connolly also served as Director of Research and Evaluation, Special Assistant to the Commissioner and led the Department’s Hurricane Sandy recovery initiatives. She lives in North Brunswick and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Masters in Public Administration from Seton Hall University. Governor Chris Christie nominated Ms. Connolly to be Commissioner in June 2015, during the previous legislative session. She was re-nominated February 2016. Kathy Krepcio is the Executive Director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is responsible for the day-to-day operations, research, and administrative activities of the Center. During her over 30-year career in higher education, government, and the nonprofit sector, she served for 18 years as Chief of Staff for New Jersey's Office of Information Technology and as Director for Policy and Planning for the Department of Human Services. Her research and technical assistance activities have focused on individuals with disabilities, older workers, dislocated workers, social welfare, employment and training, as well as administrative data analysis and program evaluation. This podcast was edited and produced by Joan Banks-Smith of Kessler Foundation.

The Zika virus is fast becoming a growing concern for people around the world, and as summer approaches, New Jerseyans are becoming more conscious of the virus. The DEP and the NJ Department of Health have been coordinating through their #zapZika campaign to better inform the public on how they can help control the mosquito population and protect themselves against the virus. DEP Deputy Commissioner David Glass and DOH Deputy Commissioner Dr. Arturo Brito joined Bob Bostock to discuss the Zika virus and the preparations that their respective departments have made to protect New Jerseayns. This episode can be found at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/podcast/ For more information on Zika, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/mosquito/docs/zika-fact-sheet.pdf

Lead in water in Newark and Flint, Mich., is focusing new attention on drinking water quality. With an aging infrastructure, how well is New Jersey poised to provide safe and affordable water to residents? What else needs to be done to manage its use and proper disposal? This NJ Spotlight Roundtable was held Friday, April 1st, 2016 at Mercer County Community College, James Kerney Campus in Trenton, N.J. Panelists were: Dennis W. Doll, Chairman, President & CEO, Middlesex Water Company; Peggy Gallos, Executive Director, Association of Environmental Authorities of New Jersey; Dan Kennedy, Assistant Commissioner, Water Resources Management, NJ Department of Environmental Protection; and Daniel Van Abs, Associate Professor of Practice for Water, Society and Environment at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. Tom Johnson of NJ Spotlight moderated. For more information, see www.njspotlight.com

Listen to audio clips > Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian & Elizabeth Terenik; Director of Planning & Development. They discussed various Atlantic City Planning & Development projects on WOND Radio, March 3, 2016. See new Atlantic City Planning & Development Website Some items discussed: Absecon Inlet Boardwalk and Seawall to Change the Inlet and Increase Development Potential  The $50M reconstruction and building of new boardwalk and seawall is expected to be complete in 2017.  The Army Corps of Engineers is the lead on the main portion, under construction currently. Series of Roads Recently Repaved Including Ventnor and Arctic Avenues  The City is completing road paving projects fully funded by the NJ Department of Transportation.  Several additional grant requests were submitted in 2015 for 2016 projects.  The Engineering Division is developing a paving priority list. Traffic Signal Synchronization Project Under Construction   Fiber optic cable is being installed to connect the Public Safety building with City Hall, allowing for communications, security cameras, and remote traffic light synchronization.  The $1.8M project is funded by the NJ Department of Transportation and is part of a plan for Citywide fiber optic cable.  New ADA accessible curb ramps are included in the project along the cable route, which is Arctic Avenue from Sovereign to Tennessee. Harold R. Brown Memorial Park Design and Bidding Complete-Ready for Construction:  Bids were received in December 2015 and award of contract is expected in February 2016 for the $1.8M for improvements and beautification of the park and playground located in the center of town.  Project includes: An active play park with attention on the design for inclusive play through the incorporation of Universal Design, to consider the wide spectrum of human abilities. It aims to exceed minimum standards to meet the needs of the greatest number of people. An enhancement of the existing Tech. Sgt. Harold R. Brown Memorial to acknowledge the sacrifices made by Atlantic City Servicemen and the historical significance that the park has earned in the community. A linkage with the adjacent Atlantic Cape Community College campus to enhance the safety, appearance and management of the neighborhood in general. Amphitheater space for neighborhood concert and rally type events with a suitable outdoor performance/classroom space. “Off the grid” lighting fixtures, powered by wind and solar energy. Click > Atlantic City Planning & Development Website  

Al Iannuzzi, Senior Director of Worldwide Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability at Johnson & Johnson12:00 pm – 1:00 pmAl is a Senior Director in the Worldwide Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability department at Johnson & Johnson where he directs the Global Product Stewardship and Green Marketing programs. He has over 30 years experience in the EHS field and leads Johnson & Johnson's EARTHWARDS® greener product design approach, product stewardship objectives of the Healthy Future 2015 sustainability goals, green marketing, and emerging issues programs. Prior to J&J, Al worked for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and at an environmental consulting firm. Al received his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Policy from the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati where he researched EHS self-regulation programs. He is the author of the books, Greener Products: the Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands (CRC Press 2011) and “Industry Self-Regulation and Voluntary Environmental Compliance” (CRC Press, 2002) and has written numerous articles and blogs on product stewardship and environmental compliance. 

Tim Hionis co-owns Hionis Greenhouses with his three brothers. He has been growing annual bedding plants, containers and hanging baskets, Spring Flowering bulbs, Holiday Plants, and much more for over 45 years in the industry. With over 10 acres of indoor production facilities and 110 acres of outdoor production, Hionis is in on the leading edge of industries needs and expectations. Located in the heart of New Jersey, Hionis easily can supply the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Hionis proudly supports the independent Garden and Home Center, Landscape Professionals, Local Farm Markets and outlets and many more in the industry. Hionis Greenhouses was the first greenhouses allowed by the NJ Department of Agriculture to put the Jersey Grown Logo on Annuals.Before it was only allowed on Perennials and Nursery Stock.In this episode Tim discusses: -How to work with a grower instead of running all over the place buying from several nurseries or garden centers -Which plants consumers are asking for -Which plants bloom the longest -Which plants are more disease resistant -The process of propagating plants -What it's like being a grower and systems needed to succeed as a grower -Fertilizing and deadheading to extend bloom timeFor more information, visit www.hionisgreenhouses.com.

Tim Hionis co-owns Hionis Greenhouses with his three brothers. He has been growing annual bedding plants, containers and hanging baskets, Spring Flowering bulbs, Holiday Plants, and much more for over 45 years in the industry. With over 10 acres of indoor production facilities and 110 acres of outdoor production, Hionis is in on the leading edge of industries needs and expectations. Located in the heart of New Jersey, Hionis easily can supply the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Hionis proudly supports the independent Garden and Home Center, Landscape Professionals, Local Farm Markets and outlets and many more in the industry. Hionis Greenhouses was the first greenhouses allowed by the NJ Department of Agriculture to put the Jersey Grown Logo on Annuals.Before it was only allowed on Perennials and Nursery Stock. In this episode Tim discusses: -How to work with a grower instead of running all over the place buying from several nurseries or garden centers -Which plants consumers are asking for -Which plants bloom the longest -Which plants are more disease resistant -The process of propagating plants -What it's like being a grower and systems needed to succeed as a grower -Fertilizing and deadheading to extend bloom time For more information, visit www.hionisgreenhouses.com.

Tim Hionis co-owns Hionis Greenhouses with his three brothers. He has been growing annual bedding plants, containers and hanging baskets, Spring Flowering bulbs, Holiday Plants, and much more for over 45 years in the industry. With over 10 acres of indoor production facilities and 110 acres of outdoor production, Hionis is in on the leading edge of industries needs and expectations. Located in the heart of New Jersey, Hionis easily can supply the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Hionis proudly supports the independent Garden and Home Center, Landscape Professionals, Local Farm Markets and outlets and many more in the industry. Hionis Greenhouses was the first greenhouses allowed by the NJ Department of Agriculture to put the Jersey Grown Logo on Annuals.Before it was only allowed on Perennials and Nursery Stock. In this episode Tim discusses: -How to work with a grower instead of running all over the place buying from several nurseries or garden centers -Which plants consumers are asking for -Which plants bloom the longest -Which plants are more disease resistant -The process of propagating plants -What it's like being a grower and systems needed to succeed as a grower -Fertilizing and deadheading to extend bloom time For more information, visit www.hionisgreenhouses.com.

Tim Hionis co-owns Hionis Greenhouses with his three brothers. He has been growing annual bedding plants, containers and hanging baskets, Spring Flowering bulbs, Holiday Plants, and much more for over 45 years in the industry. With over 10 acres of indoor production facilities and 110 acres of outdoor production, Hionis is in on the leading edge of industries needs and expectations. Located in the heart of New Jersey, Hionis easily can supply the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Hionis proudly supports the independent Garden and Home Center, Landscape Professionals, Local Farm Markets and outlets and many more in the industry. Hionis Greenhouses was the first greenhouses allowed by the NJ Department of Agriculture to put the Jersey Grown Logo on Annuals.Before it was only allowed on Perennials and Nursery Stock.In this episode Tim discusses: -How to work with a grower instead of running all over the place buying from several nurseries or garden centers -Which plants consumers are asking for -Which plants bloom the longest -Which plants are more disease resistant -The process of propagating plants -What it's like being a grower and systems needed to succeed as a grower -Fertilizing and deadheading to extend bloom timeFor more information, visit www.hionisgreenhouses.com.

Mustard gas fact sheet from the NJ Department of Health All the networks had their share of cancellations this year. Revolution was one of the victims in the purge.  With only two new episodes left, how will the show conclude? What did Eric Kripke pitch to NBC for season three?? Will the nanotech be the … Continue reading JJ Abrams Rewind Podcast #051 for NBC Revolution 2.20 – Tomorrowland →

Michael Catania has played a major role for three decades in New Jersey in the areas of environmental legislation, regulation and conservation. In this interview, we discuss major environmental laws, like the Pinelands Act, that Michael helped to draft when he worked for the Office of Legislative Services. We also cover his time at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, his recent leadership in conservation projects, and his exciting new challenge as executive director at Duke Farms. Michael has been a participant in and witness to much of the progress of the environmental movement as we know it in New Jersey. Is he discouraged by currenet events?  Listen and learn. We think you'll really like this epidsode and you may learn a good deal, too.  Want to help us grow the podcast? We'd be most grateful if you'd take a few minutes to give us a review on iTunes. You review will help us reach more listeners and encourage experts to participate in future interviews. Thanks in advance. We also recommend that you check out our free EnviroPolitics Blog, our paid-subscription daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics (30 day free trial) and our Enviro-Events Calendar where we will help you publilcize your upcoming event for free.   

Our June 19 (2pm EST) broadcast will feature a group of innovative leaders who have been at the forefront of designing and implementing new public and charter schools.  The leadership task for these new enterprises is an awesome responsibility.  Engaging communities and inspiring the instructional staff is only a small portion of what is necessary for success in these new schools.  Our panel have been in such a position and will share their challenges, failures and successes so that we can gain understanding and appreciation for what is required in the development of a new school design. Our guests are: Ms. Sharon Stephens - principal of Madiba Prep in Brooklyn, NY and is finishing her first year as the leader of that school; Ms. Lagra Newman - founding principal of Purpose Academy in Nashville, TN and is preparing to launch her school in September;  and Mr. David Hardy - founding principal of Achievement First Brooklyn who is now working for the NJ Department of Education. Join us for what will be a dynamic, informative conversation.

The Pioneers of IEQ Series returns this with pioneer practitioner and educator Mike McGuinness, CIH, CET, CIAQP. Mr. McGuinness began his career in industrial hygiene and occupational health with NJ Department of Labor in 1973. He also worked for six years with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) before returning to the NJ DOL as their Senior Occupational Health Consultant. In 1984 he started RK Occupational & Environmental Analysis, Inc. to provide industrial hygiene, occupational health and indoor environmental quality consulting and training services for a wide range of public and private clients. Mr. McGuinness is one of only 70 CIH's worldwide with the Indoor Environmental Quality sub-specialty through the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). Anyone that knows him is aware that he has some strong opinions and is not afraid to voice them. We are looking forward to providing him the type of platform he deserves and getting his take on current events in the IEQ and disaster restoration industries. Text in your questions, give us a call to say hello or download the show later, whatever you do don't miss this opportunity to LEARN MORE from one of the pioneers of the IEQ industry this week on IAQ Radio.

The Pioneers of IEQ Series returns this with pioneer practitioner and educator Mike McGuinness, CIH, CET, CIAQP. Mr. McGuinness began his career in industrial hygiene and occupational health with NJ Department of Labor in 1973. He also worked for six years with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) before returning to the NJ DOL as their Senior Occupational Health Consultant. In 1984 he started RK Occupational & Environmental Analysis, Inc. to provide industrial hygiene, occupational health and indoor environmental quality consulting and training services for a wide range of public and private clients. Mr. McGuinness is one of only 70 CIH's worldwide with the Indoor Environmental Quality sub-specialty through the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH). Anyone that knows him is aware that he has some strong opinions and is not afraid to voice them. We are looking forward to providing him the type of platform he deserves and getting his take on current events in the IEQ and disaster restoration industries. Text in your questions, give us a call to say hello or download the show later, whatever you do don't miss this opportunity to LEARN MORE from one of the pioneers of the IEQ industry this week on IAQ Radio.

NJBankers Podcast #1: Forecast 2006 Recorded Thursday, December 1, 2005 (163.3 mb mono MP3 file, 1:58:55) What direction will New Jersey's economy take in 2006? What effect will our new governor have on the business climate? Who better to answer these and other questions than the head of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce, the Chief Examiner for the New Jersey Deparment of Banking and Insurance and the Chairman of the NJ Council of Economic Advisors? Now, as a benefit of your NJBankers Membership, listen to the entire program in this first of a series of podcast recordings, produced for NJBankers by Lubetkin & Co. Communications LLC of Cherry Hill, NJ (www.lubetkin.net). Speakers Thomas A. Bracken President & CEO, Sun Bancorp, Inc. Mr. Bracken began his banking career with New Jersey National Bank in 1969. He was named Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking in 1975, and retained that position through CoreStates' acquisition of New Jersey National Bank. In 1993, Mr. Bracken was named President of CoreStates/New Jersey National Bank and in 1998, following the CoreStates merger with First Union Bank, he was appointed Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial and Government Banking for New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. In May of 2000, Mr. Bracken was named Executive Director of First Union's Public Sector Group. Tom currently is the Chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Joseph J. Seneca University Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy Dr. Seneca is Chairman of the New Jersey Council of Economic Advisors. The Council prepares semiannual economic outlooks and advises the Governor and Legislature on economic policy and economic development. He has taught at all levels of instruction throughout his career at Rutgers and has received numerous awards for exemplary teaching and contributions to public service. Dr. Seneca is the author of numerous articles, reports and books on economic policy, public finance, environmental economics and state economic development. He was named the 2002 Educator of the Year by the Research and Development Council of New Jersey. Janine J. Akey Chief Examiner, NJ Department of Banking & Insurance Mrs. Akey has served as the Chief Examiner of the Division of Banking since October 1989. As Chief Examiner, Mrs. Akey is responsible for the examination and supervision program for all State chartered commercial banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies and holding companies for the State chartered institutions. Mrs. Akey has also served as the Secretary to the Bank Advisory Board since 1994.