Ang Santos

When the city of Newark announced the Mulberry Commons Project last month, transforming lot and warehouse space on Prudential Centers Mulberry St. side into a 22-acre park, was it possible for something to outshine the ambitious project.  I guess that depends on if you like music more than shops and recreational activity.  The Grammy Museum Experience will use 8,000 square feet of Prudential Center space to bring its history to New Jersey.  Daniel Cherry is the Chief Marketing Innovation Officer for the New Jersey Devils.  He says they’re a perfect match.

The hometown of Grammy Hall of Famers Paul Simon, Whitney Houston, Sarah Vaughan, and Franki Valli will now be directly connected to the music world’s most prestigious award.

With the tolling of flag poles all around, and a backdrop of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, top lawmakers from New York and New Jersey huddled together in opposition to President Trump’s travel ban.

“My name is Senator Michael Gianaris.  I’m from New York, not New Jersey but we’re happy to be here on the New Jersey side today.”

Gianaris is the deputy democratic leader of the New York State Senate and author of legislation that would prevent the Port Authority from using its resources to support Trump’s Executive Order.

New York State Senator Michael Gianaris says the bi-state bill would completely prevent the Port Authority from supporting Trump’s travel ban.

“Prohibit the Port Authority personnel from participating in the enforcement of this order.  Prohibit the facilities of the Port Authority from being used.  Prohibit any resources from the Port, so if the federal government somehow has control of a room that they’re using but the electricity or the climate control comes from the Port Authority, that too should be shut off,” Gianaris said.

Programming Note: Cory Booker will join us this Friday, February 3rd at 8pm as Newark Today Presents "The Four Living Mayors". He will be joined by fellow former mayors Ken Gibson, Sharpe James and current mayor Ras Baraka for what will be a historic night.

Programming Note: Sharpe James will join us this Friday, February 3rd at 8pm as Newark Today Presents "The Four Living Mayors".  He will be joined by fellow former mayors Ken Gibson, US Senator Cory Booker and current mayor Ras Baraka for what will be a historic night.

Mayor Sharpe James served as Newark’s south ward councilman before defeating Ken Gibson in a close 1986 election.  It would end up being his closest election as city mayor.  He was such a presence he ran unopposed in 1990.  James went on to serve five terms, eventually becoming a state senator.  

Programming Note: Ken Gibson will join us this Friday, February 3rd at 8pm as Newark Today Presents "The Four Living Mayors".  He will be joined by fellow former mayors Sharpe James, US Senator Cory Booker and current mayor Ras Baraka for what will be a historic night.

Ken Gibson was elected as Newark’s first African American mayor in 1970.  A transitional period for Newark; the city was in recovery from the 67’ rebellion.

New Jersey could become the first state to ban veterinarians from declawing cats.  Feline advocates are split over whether the legislation is a good idea.

A bill passed by the Assembly and awaiting action in the state Senate would fine veterinarians as much as $2000 for declawing a cat unless it’s considered medically necessary.  Kathleen Schatzmann, the state director of the Humane Society, supports the proposed ban.

Leaders of several Fortune 500 companies were at NJPAC to discuss race and ethnicity in the workplace. 

Ethnicity and race can be uncomfortable topics in a workplace setting.  Elena Richards, talent manager with PwC moderated the roundtable discussion.  She says racial insecurity is still very much an issue.

A former treasury official under the Bill Clinton administration is stepping up his campaign to run for New Jersey governor. 

Jim Johnson’s new campaign office in downtown Newark isn’t quite as spacious, or at the highly visible location of democratic front runner Phil Murphy’s, but Johnson says he never planned a high profile run to the Governor’s office.  No big endorsements or dollars, Johnson says no problem.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy Gillespie centennial celebration kicks off this week. 

Dizzy’s music will take over JALC for a four-day weekend of shows starting Thursday, Jan. 26.  Trombonist Vincent Gardner is leading the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra through various arrangements in Rose Theater.

The Hahne & Co. building on Broad St. in Newark has reopened its doors.  It’s transformed into much more than a department store.

Many Newarkers remember it as the ‘Hahne’s’ building.  The 21st century version will house the city’s first Whole Foods, a restaurant from celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, and housing units both luxury and affordable.  Mayor Ras Baraka says 65 of those will be affordable housing units.

Recent Quinnipiac University Polls show a split in New York City voters overall approval of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

When it comes to Mayor de Blasio, voters polled by Quinnipiac University are divided evenly, give or take a few percentage points on his favorability, leadership skills, or whether he deserved to be re-elected.  Poll assistant Director Tim Malloy says they’re even 50-50 on de Blasio’s public disputes with Donald Trump.

Mayor Ras Baraka says planning and investment is ready to complete Newark’s long awaited park project to revitalize the space in front of Prudential Center.

It’s been talked about for eleven years but now it finally looks like the 'Triangle Park Project' is ready to bring new retail and public open space to the Prudential Center.  Newark Deputy Mayor Baye Adofo-Wilson says there’s been a change in design.

“At one time the project was a triangle, but because of a street and some realignment it became more of a rectangle.  So we ended up changing the name,” said Wilson.

Newark’s Department of Public Safety is introducing its first class of school crossing guards to their ranks.  Twenty-eight vetted and trained residents are being assigned to the most traffic burdened areas of the city.   

“We had a group of people, we went through 500 people to get these 28.  They are the first point of security that these kids will see going to school and out of school,” says Anthony Ambrose, Director, Newark Department of Public Safety.

Mayor Ras Baraka says hiring more crossing guards has been a request from city parents since he took office.

Democrats in New Jersey’s congressional delegation staged a rally in Newark against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

The republican majority congress in both houses are already beginning the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, days before the inauguration of Donald Trump.  The president-elect ran on the platform of repealing and replacing Obamacare.  Democrats in Congress find that troubling.

“They don’t have a plan, we know that,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a point that was made by each speaker at the rally.

Ever dream of securing that law degree but didn’t have the time to pursue it?  Seton Hall is launching a program to make entry level law degrees more accessible to working professionals. 

Kathleen Boozang, Dean of Seton Hall University School of Law says they’re launching a weekend program at the Newark campus to work around people’s family and work schedules.

“Two-thirds live, one-third online, so each semester the students attend in person classes eight weekends a semester, every other weekend.  Then in the off week they work in small groups with the professor online.”

New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is meeting with Dr. Ben Carson, the secretary-designee of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, ahead of his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Senator Bob Menendez questions whether Dr. Ben Carson understands the responsibilities of his pending appointment.

“I want to get a view of Dr. Carson’s understanding of what HUD’s mission is, and the priorities he will have as the secretary designee,” Menendez said by conference call with several New Jersey mayors.

Democratic Ambassador Phil Murphy received some pretty good news regarding his campaign for governor.  

New Jersey US Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker are the latest to endorse the democrat for governor. 

"Two extraordinary United States Senators, Cory Booker and Bob Menendez.  As good as it gets in this country.  As good as any partners you can hope to have.  I’m humbled by your endorsement today gentleman.  I’m looking forward to getting out in the hustings and rolling up our sleeves together,” Murphy said.

The jazz world mourns the loss of jazz critic and producer, author and journalist Nat Hentoff.

Nat Hentoff, a legendary voice journalist and critic, as written in his Village Voice obituary, passed in his Manhattan home on Saturday.  His son Nick says by Twitter, “He died surrounded by family listening to Billie Holiday.”

For fifty years Hentoff wrote articles and criticisms for The Village Voice.  He was passionate for politics but arguably more so for jazz music. 

The Archdiocese of Newark welcomes Cardinal Joseph Tobin as its new archbishop.   His installation ends the fifteen-year tenure of John Myers, who father Brian Gonzalez of St. Aloysius Parish in Newark’s Ironbound is grateful for.

“Sad in a sense for the loss of Archbishop Meyers.  He was very dear; I knew him since I came here.  He was the one who ordained me.  I love him very much, but happy to see also that God has given us a new shepherd,” said Gonzalez.

New York City officials say overall crime was at all-time recorded lows in 2016.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says there were less than a thousand shootings in 2016.  The lowest figure since all-time recorded high’s in 1993.  He points to better neighborhood policing.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is proposing to offer free tuition at New York public colleges for eligible residents.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan, ‘The Excelsior Scholarship,’ would provide free tuition to State or City University of New York colleges for residents whose families earn less than $125,000 a year.

“College is a mandatory step if you really want to be a success.  The way this society said we’re going to pay for high school, because you need high school, this society should say we’re going to pay for college,” Cuomo said.

A tribute to the many of the celebrities and notables who passed this year including Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer, Monte Irvin, Frank Sinatra, Jr., David Bowie, Prince, Nancy Reagan, John Glenn and Fidel Castro.

Some very high profile court cases could take place in New Jersey next year. 

As early as mid-January Governor Chris Christie will know if he’ll stand trial for a criminal misconduct case in state court.  The complaint was filed by a Bergen county man against the governor for his alleged involvement in the Bridgegate Scandal.  Christie’s former aides who were indicted in federal court earlier this year have appealed their convictions.

New York City officials are assuring the public that Times Square will be safe for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. 

Over 7,000 law enforcement officers, highly visible weapons teams, and 65 strategically placed sanitation trucks to protect the events perimeters have Mayor Bill de Blasio assured the stage is set in Times Square.

“New Year’s Eve as per usual, we expect over one million people.  I’m not quite sure why millions of people want to stand in the cold for long, long periods of time, but they do, and we’ll be ready for them,” de Blasio said.

Newark’s overall crime rate has decreased over the last year.

Crime statistics from the Newark PD Comstat Unit show drops in almost every category.

“We have 1,300 less victims this year.  We have 400 less violent crime victims.  It’s good, but it’s still high.  But we can say that Newark is a safer city from 2015 to 2016,” said Anthony Ambrose, Director, Newark Department of Public Safety.