Wardlaw-Hartridge Lower School students meet their "senior buddies."

Kindergarten students in Kelly Marikakis' class at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School, front row, Vihaan Singh of Edison, Shweta Saravanan of Edison, Declan Molloy of Belford, Josslyn Dugenio of Branchburg and Devinder Virdi of Metuchen, and their new senior buddies, back row, Randon Lyu of Warren, Claire Greaney of Scotch Plains, Abdur Sajid of Carteret, Laura Arriaza of Plainfield and Joseph Bacalhau of Woodbridge.

EDISON -- On Oct. 7 students in the Lower School at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School were introduced to their new "senior buddies" at the Senior Buddies Assembly.

For the remainder of the school year, the seniors will visit their younger counterparts in grades pre-K through 5 in their classrooms on special occasions such as Halloween and Valentine's Day and interact with them at other school events to help build camaraderie and unity between the school's oldest and youngest students.

The senior buddies are a long-standing tradition at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School. At the assembly, senior Charlotte Sweeney of Cranford, who represented the senior class, talked about her days in Lower School before the senior buddies accompanied the Lower School students back to their classrooms to begin getting acquainted.

To submit school news send an email to middlesex@starledger.com.

Jessica Paikarovski, 33, died Friday in the freak accident, which occurred as she sat with a friend near a pool on the Pacific Ocean on a private beach in Puerto de La Libertad, El Salvador.

EDISON - A local photographer and artist traveling with an American Ska band drowned after she and a friend were swept into the Pacific Ocean, the woman's sister confirmed Monday.

Jessica Paikarovski, 33, died Friday in the freak accident, which occurred as she sat with a friend near a pool on a private beach in Puerto de La Libertad, El Salvador.

"The pool relied on ocean water to fill it up," said the sister, Ann Paikarovski. "A wave came over them and sucked them under."

Paikarovski, who went by the stage name Jess Distress, had been traveling with the New Brunswick band Inspecter 7.

Paikarovski was sitting at the pool with the band's saxophone player Friday evening when the accident occurred, Ann Paikarovski said.

The band member was identified in a news account as Fernando Leon. He suffered broken bones but survived, Ann Paikarovski said.

"My sister, being all of 90 pounds soaking wet, didn't make it," Ann Paikarovski said.

An El Salvador news agency reported that Paikarovski's body was recovered two hours after the accident.

Ann Paikarovski described her sister as a burlesque performer, artist and photographer who "did a little bit of everything." She had traveled extensively through Europe and was on her first visit Central America at the time of the accident, her sister said.

After graduating Edison High School, Paikarovski attended Middlesex County College and a performing arts school in New York City, her sister said.

"She was a free spirit, kind-hearted, would do anything for anybody," Ann Paikarovski said. "She was definitely a unique person."

A lifelong friend described Jessica in a Facebook post as a free spirit who did what she wanted.

"Although petite, she was one of the toughest girls I will ever know," wrote Vanessa Kopec. "She did what she wanted and wouldn't take no for an answer. She lived her short life to the fullest and traveled the world and experienced more than most people did in a lifetime."

Paikarovski leaves behind her parents, Risto and Janina; two sisters; two nephews and a niece.

An appeals court has overturned an Edison man's 2011 conviction for beating his brother to death with bricks, ruling James Kucinski, deserves a new trial because the prosecutor in his 2011 trial in New Brunswick kept cross-examining him about why he remained silent when he was questioned by police after his arrest in 2008.

James Kucinski of Edison will get a new trial for the 2008 killing of his older brother who was beaten with a brick. File photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- An appeals court has overturned an Edison man's 2011 conviction for beating his brother to death with bricks.

The three-judge panel ruled that James Kucinski, deserves a new trial because the prosecutor in his 2011 trial in New Brunswick kept cross-examining him about why he remained silent when he was questioned by police after his arrest in 2008.

"We conclude.....that the prosecutor's line of questioning was improper and violated defendant's constitutional right against self-incrimination," the judges said in a 22-page written decision released Monday.

Kucinski, now 60, was charged with the murder of his brother, John, but the jury, following six days of deliberations, convicted him of passion/provocation manslaughter.

RELATED: Trial begins in case of Edison man accused of killing brother in 2008

He was sentenced to nine years in state prison and must serve 85 percent or more than seven years and six months of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.

The judges said despite warnings by Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves, the prosecutor, Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Keith Warburton, continued to question Kucinski about his refusal to tell investigators details about the attack or what led up to it, including his brother's attacking him.

In opening remarks of the trial, Kucinski's attorney, Michael Priarone, told the jury James Kucinski killed his brother in self-defense after John Kucinski attacked him in April 2008.

But Warburton said James Kucinski hated his brother John and "beat his brother with such anger, such hatred, and such intent to kill him that you can see the outline of the bricks on the body."

Priarone told the jury his client went to the home to visit his mother, who suffered from dementia and had just returned from a stay in the hospital. But, his older brother, who lived with their mother, stopped him in the driveway, picked up a brick and "attacked him with a fury sufficient to convince James that his life was in danger."

He said James Kucinski picked up a brick "to defend himself."

But Warburton said Kucinski told police his brother was "a scumbag" and to "put me down as a murderer."

Testimony during the trial revealed the brothers argued by telephone about two hours earlier.

"Since the tragic altercation between the defendant and his brother was unwitnessed by a third party, defendant's out-of-court statement and its utilization by the state during the trial played a significant role," the judges said. "Given the significance, we have no confidence in the trial's outcome."

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Arizae Halley, 20, of East Brunswick, is charged with three counts of first-degree robbery and is being held at the Middlesex County jail on $100,000 bail.

NJ Advance Media File Photo 

EAST BRUNSWICK - Police have arrested a suspect in the armed robbery of three people on bicycles last Thursday behind the Pathmark shopping center.

Arizae Halley, 20, of East Brunswick, is charged with three counts of first-degree robbery and is being held at the Middlesex County jail on $100,000 bail. 

Police accused Halley of riding a bike up to the victims, pulling out what appeared to be a handgun from his waistband and stealing their cell phones.

"Halley had been stopped in the area the night before but there was not sufficient information to detain him," police Lt. Kevin F. Zebro said in a news release on Monday. "Detectives were able to develop further information including details from the victims and independent witnesses that lead to Halley's arrest."

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Winning tickets were sold in Middlesex and Camden counties

A pair of winning tickets were sold for Saturday's $939,008 Jersey Cash 5 drawing.New Jersey Lottery 

Two tickets sold for Saturday's $939,008 Jersey Cash 5 drawing matched each of the numbers drawn.

One jackpot winning ticket was sold in Middlesex County and one was bought in Camden County, state lottery officials said this afternoon.

The winning numbers were 1, 10, 39, 40 and 42. Each winning ticket is worth $469,504.

The Central Jersey ticket originated at Dix's Spirit Shoppe on South Washington Avenue in Piscataway; the other lucky winner made his or her purchase at Kresson News on South Lakeview Drive in Gibbsboro.

The jackpot had climbed after five straight drawings without anyone matching five numbers.

No jackpot winning tickets were sold nationally for either Mega Millions or Powerball over the weekend. The next drawings for those two games will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday with top prizes of  $93 million and $90 million, respectively.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Numerous firefighters were battling the blaze.

SAYREVILLE -- Police here are urging caution after a Monday afternoon fire at Universal Auto Body on Route 35. 

Borough police say just after 12:30 p.m. that Route 35 north is down to one lane of open travel, and subject to closures. There's also heavy smoke in the area, police said, so motorists are being advised to use caution. 

Numerous first-responders are on scene, police said. Small explosions, from tires and gas tanks, were reported. 

No injuries have been reported, and traffic delays could last another hour, police said at about 1:15 p.m.

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

N.J.-based Hess Toy Truck will also sell the toys online, despite the closure of the gas stations

The Hess truck's back -- but not at the gas stations.

Since Hess stations have closed, this will be the first holiday season that Woodbridge-based Hess Toy Truck will roll out its inventory solely online and at a handful of malls in the area.

Online sales of the 2015 Hess Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue, announced Monday, will start Nov. 1 at hesstoytruck.com.

The red firetruck, which costs $30.99 -- $1 more than last year's truck -- is equipped with a pivoting LED searchlight, hose nozzles, slide-out ramp and four different sound effects. The accompanying ladder rescue truck has a movable nozzle and friction motor.

Hess sold its gas stations to Marathon Petroleum in 2014, making that year the last that parents, grandparents and collectors could scoop up the toys at gas stations in the run-up to the holiday season. Marathon's Speedway gas stations are not selling Hess toy trucks. 

In New Jersey, starting on Nov. 12, the toy will be sold at Paramus Park, Woodbridge Center, Willowbrook and Cherry Hill malls at kiosks made to look like Hess trucks. Six other malls in New York and Pennsylvania will have the kiosks. 

The toys may have outlived the gas stations, but in the absence of the annual trip to the stations for the trucks -- which had become a holiday tradition for many families -- the company wanted to provide an offline alternative.

"There is this nostalgic pilgrimage to the store," says Justin Mayer, general manager of Hess Toy Truck. "The malls do allow folks to replicate that experience." 

But Mayer says a large portion of those buying the trucks are buying online, though he would not divulge how many customers made purchases on the website in 2014.

"We saw a ton of folks come online this year," Mayer says. Trucks bought online come with free shipping.

"It's not where they come from, it's about who gave it to you," he says. 

Mayer says he tested out the firetruck and ladder rescue on his children, who are in first grade and kindergarten, this past weekend. They proceeded to dust off their stockpile of other Hess firetrucks and go to town with latest addition to their collection.

"It's all about the rescue and imagining the play of rescuing somebody," he says. "The kids love speed. It moves fast when you push it. That's the play value." 

The Hess empire had modest New Jersey beginnings in 1933, when a 19-year-old Leon Hess remade his father's Asbury Park oil delivery service. The first Hess station opened in 1960 in Oakhurst. 

Hidden among Hess' 2015 holiday haul will be 100 silver, individually numbered versions of the truck. All trucks come with five batteries. 

In 2014, Hess celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Hess toy truck, which debuted in 1964. In the decades since, the fleet of Hess toys has moved well beyond the first iteration -- a gas tanker with oil funnel -- to encompass helicopters, monster trucks, motorcycles, and spaceships. 

Tracy Morgan appears to be planning his next steps toward a full-time return to laughs

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Fresh off a hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend, comedian Tracy Morgan appears to be planning his next steps toward a full-time return to laughs. 

An April 16 show at State Theatre in New Brunswick, titled "Picking Up The Pieces," is currently listed on Ticketmaster, though the theatre nor Morgan have announced the show on their respective websites.

A show in Quebec, Canada under the same moniker is also listed. 

MORE: Tracy Morgan's triumphant return to "SNL"  

Pre-sale begins Thursday at 10 a.m. Full sale begins Friday. 

The stand-up performance would be Morgan's first New Jersey show since a near-fatal car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike June 7, 2014. 

The 46-year-old entertainer sustained a traumatic brain injury and several broken bones after his limousine collided with a Wal-Mart tractor-trailer. He was in a coma for eight days. The accident killed his mentor James "Jimmy Mack" McNair. 

But 16 months after the accident, the New York native proclaimed on "SNL" this weekend "I'm back." 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The winners of the Guild of Creative Art's "23rd Annual Open Juried Show" were announced by judges Stacy Smith, manager of publications and communications of the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University, and Michael Cagno, executive director of the Noyes Museum of Art of Richard Stockton University.

Best in Photography 2015: "Industrial Lightbulb", photograph by Kathy Watson of Fair Haven. 

SHREWSBURY -- The winners of the Guild of Creative Art's "23rd Annual Open Juried Show" were announced by judges Stacy Smith, manager of publications and communications of the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University, and Michael Cagno, executive director of the Noyes Museum of Art of Richard Stockton University.

The winners were:

* Best in Painting: "Island Regatta" Acrylic by Donald Robinson

* Best in Photography: "Industrial Lightbulb" by Kathy Watson

* Best in Sculpture: Whirlwind" Pineneedle Coiling by Linda Colaguori

* Honorable Mentions Painting: Anthony Migliaccio for "Anthony's Nose", oil; Deborah Redden "Second Story" watercolor; Harvey Rogosin for "On the Path to "Chatham Harbor"

* Honorable Mentions in Photography: Joseph Imbesi for "Lifeboat" and Kristopher Schoenleber for "Descent"

* Mitchell Award for Acrylic: Lorraine Madsen for "Awesome"

* Friedlander Award for Abstract: Will Rackin for "Love What is True", acrylic, ink and paper

* Guild Award for Artistic Innovation: Arthur Futernik for "Clementine", acrylic

* Technical Excellence Award: Bill Ross for "Reliquary", colored pencil

* Caivano Award for Oil: Sandy Taylor for "Autumn"

* Caivano Award for Watercolor: Tera Yoshimura for "House in the Mist", watercolor

* Reilly Memorial Award for Photography: Ellen Martin for "Abandoned #59 - My Reflection"

The artwork, along with art by guild exhibiting and associate members, will be on display in the lobby through Oct. 28.

The guild, located at 620 Broad St. in Shrewsbury, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "advancing excellence in the visual arts through teaching, exhibits, workshops, and special events."

The hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call 732-741-1441 or email guildofcreativeart@verizon.net.

To submit an achievement, please send an email to middlesex@starledger.com.

Woman's purse taken at knife-point, Rutgers PD says

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A woman was robbed of her purse at knife-point Saturday night, Kenneth Cop, chief of the Rutgers University Police Department, said in an alert Sunday.

File Photo 

The victim, who has no ties to the school, said someone approached her shortly before midnight near Somerset and Maple streets. The suspect showed the knife before grabbing the victim's purse and running off, Cop said. The victim was unhurt.  

No description of the suspect was immediately available. New Brunswick police, who are investigating, ask that anyone with information call the detective bureau at 732-745-5217.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook

 

James Monroe Elementary School will be rebuilt by September 2016, officials say.

EDISON -- The Edison school district's former insurance company has agreed to pay about $11 million more toward the cost of rebuilding a burned-down elementary school, bringing to a close an uneasy chapter in the story of the James Monroe fire.

The school board voted Monday night to approve the settlement with the New Jersey Schools Insurance Group.

The insurance company will pay a total of $23.6 million to rebuild the school, an accord that was reached after the district filed a lawsuit. That's nearly $11 million more than the company has previously paid. Edison will bear some costs, including architect fees, a public adjuster, and a construction manager -- about $3 million.

"The school is going to get built on time, and the taxpayers aren't going to pay to build it, because the insurance company came forward and did the right thing," said Richard O'Malley, the superintendent of Edison's public schools.

The settlement ends months of bitter legal wrangling, the first stages of which the school district won. The district is canceling a plan to borrow to pay for James Monroe Elementary School, meaning taxpayers will no longer be on the hook for an estimated $21 per year for 30 years. Voters approved the borrowing in March, but that was always an emergency plan, and school officials remained optimistic that a settlement could be reached.

New Jersey Schools Insurance Group officials declined to comment until they'd received the signed agreement.

The company initially argued that they should not have to pay for additional amenities -- for example, fire-suppressing sprinklers. The refusal to pay for sprinklers was not just symbolic, it was pricey, stoking criticism in the state's fifth-largest town. The insurance company will pay for sprinklers as part of the agreement, the district said.

The district switched insurance companies after the fire.

James Monroe Elementary School burned down in March 2014, a blaze sparked by a custodian's carelessly discarded cigarette. Jerome Higgins pleaded to a petty disorderly persons offense for smoking, and he's also being sued for repair costs.

The new school is on track for a September 2016 opening on its former Sharp Road site, O'Malley said.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, which occurred on a Saturday.

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The famed vampire story is told through dance, music and spoken work.

FEAR! RAGE PASSION! All will be part of the Roxey Ballet production of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" at the Canal Studios Theater in Lambertville.

The famed horror story of the vampire Dracula and the havoc he wreaks in 18th-century
England is told through dance, music and spoken work in this show, which includes original ballet choreography.

Performances are Oct. 23, at 6 and 8 p.m.; Oct. 24, at 4 and 7 p.m.; Oct. 25, at 2 and 4
p.m.; Oct. 30, at 6 and 8 p.m.; Oct. 31, at 4 and 7 p.m.; and Nov. 1, at 2 and 4 p.m.

The theater is located at 243 N. Union St. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Call (609) 397-7616 or visit RoxeyBallet.org.

TIME FOR TEA

Star-Ledger file photo

Tea Traditions from Around the World explores tea customs and rituals celebrated from China to Russia to the British isles. The Oct. 22 event, from 1 to 3 p.m., will be hosted in the McAuley Heritage Center of Georgian Court University, Lakewood.

Participants will learn how various cultures enjoy teatime, and will be served tea and light refreshments. Tea accessories, including a Russian samovar (circa 1900), Chinese Gong Fu tea set, a Turkish teapot and Tibetan tea bowl, will be on display.

Cost is $20 and reservations are required. Georgian Court University is located at 900
Lakewood Ave. Call (732) 97-2263 or visit georgian.edu.

AND MORE ...

• Carve a pumpkin and decorate it on Oct. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Montclair Art Museum. Cost is $25 for nonmembers and $20 for members. Pumpkins, art supplies and tools provided. Parent or guardian must accompany children. Visit montclairartmuseum.org.

• Jersey horror-punk veterans Misfits ramp up the Halloween season with an Oct. 24 show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville. Visit starlandballroom.com.

• Alt-rock more your style? Check out Young The Giant on Oct. 24 at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. The California band is touring in support of its 2014 release "Mind Over Matter." Visit wellmont.theater.

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

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A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.

TRENTON -- A former abortion doctor has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday to explain why he failed to turn over ownership of his chain of clinics when his license was revoked a year ago.

Dr. Steven C. Brigham appeared before the board of medical examiners in 2010. (The Star-Ledger File Photo)  

Steven C. Brigham has been ordered to appear in state Superior Court in Essex County to explain why he did not respond to a subpoena from the Attorney General's Office in June seeking information about the clinics, according to court records.

Deputy Attorney general Bindi Merchant also made nine inquiries with Brigham and his attorney, Joseph Gorrell seeking annual reports and contracts associated with Brigham's four corporations: American Healthcare Services, Advanced Professional Services, Alpha Real Estate and American Wellness Services, according to the records.

Brigham has not been allowed to practice since 2010, when the state Board of Medical Examiners found he had skirted state law by starting late-term abortions with five women. He administered a drug that killed the fetus in his South Jersey office, and ordering them to drive to his Maryland clinic, where the surgical procedure was completed.

Last year, Brigham lost an appeal and the board revoked his license.

Without his license, Brigham was required by state law to divest himself from the clinics he owned in Elizabeth, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Phillipsburg, Toms River, Woodbridge and Voorhees. He turned over the business to the company's medical director, Vikram Kaji.

But when an investigator from the Division of Consumer Affairs performed an unannounced inspection at a clinic in Hamilton April 22, Kaji denied he was the owner. During a closed-door hearing of a committee of the board on May 5, Vikram Kaji "repeatedly testified under oath that he was not the owner," according to the complaint filed June 16 by Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant.

"He expressly testified that there is no other person around, (Brigham's) the only one who runs the show,'' according to the complaint obtained by NJ Advance Media.

RELATED: N.J. abortion doctor appeals license revocation, divests from clinics

Marie Tasy, executive director for New Jersey Right to Life, has asked the Attorney General to shut down the clinics and bring new charges against Brigham for his deception.

"It is shocking that these (clinics) are still operating at all," Tasy said in recent letter to the Attorney General's Office.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

The arrests were made earlier this month at New Era Spa, located at 11 Main St., according to a news release on Monday.

NJ Advance Media File Photo 

EAST BRUNSWICK - Police arrested two employees - one for prostitution, the other for drug possession - after an undercover operation at a downtown spa.

The arrests were made earlier this month at New Era Spa, located at 11 Main St., according to a news release on Monday.

"Undercover detectives entered the spa and during massages were offered sexual acts (for money) by a female employee," police stated in the release.

Annie Copo, 49, of Jackson Heights was charged with prostitution

A male employee, Nabil Nasr, 35, of South River, was arrested as he entered the spa and charged with possession of heroin, marijuana under 50 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Both suspects were processed at police headquarters and released with court dates, police said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Tweet your pics #JerseyWeen

You see them around your neighborhood at this time every fall: The house that goes overboard for Halloween. A strand of orange lights and a creepy spider aren't enough for some people. Motorized skeletons, creepy music and homemade headstones hit the spot during Halloween season. Do you go overboard decorating your house for October 31, or have you seen a ghastly display nearby? We want to see them too.

Post pics of New Jersey Halloween decor in comments below. Make sure you tell us where in New Jersey the picture is from, and give us details about the best parts of the display. You can also tweet Halloween decor photos @njdotcom with the hashtag #jerseyween. We'll highlight the best decorations on NJ.com next week.

John Shabe can be reached at jshabe@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johndshabe and find NJ.com on Facebook.

Newark, Princeton and several N.J. counties could lose federal funds under the Senate Republican legislation

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senate Republicans failed Tuesday to get the 60 votes needed to move legislation threatening Newark, Princeton and other municipalities that seek to protect unauthorized immigrants living within their borders.

The Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act would cut off community development block grants, community policing grants and other federal funds to so-called "sanctuary cities" that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials, such as not detaining undocumented immigrants when asked to. 

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said Newark, Princeton, and the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean and Union all could have been affected under the Senate bill. 

RELATED: A response to Trump? N.J. cities could lose funding for protecting undocumented residents

The bill was blocked as 45 senators, including U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Democratic presidential candidate, voted no.

It was supported by 54 senators, including two Republican presidential candidates, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, who both co-sponsored the legislation. A third GOP presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, did not vote.

Menendez, one of Congress' strongest supporters of President Obama's executive actions on immigration, called the bill the "Donald Trump Act," after the Republican presidential front-runner, who has called for deporting all 11 million unauthorized immigrants and said of Mexicans crossing the border, "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."

"We are witnessing the most overtly nativist and xenophobic campaign in modern U.S. history," Menendez said in a speech on the Senate floor. "That anti-immigrant rhetoric has made its way to the Senate floor courtesy of Donald Trump and some Republicans eager to capitalize on this rhetoric for their own political gain."

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks declined to comment.

In floor remarks just before Menendez spoke, Cruz complained about municipalities that were "more than happy" to take federal funds but went "out of their way to obstruct and impede" federal immigration officials.

"It makes no sense to continue sending federal money to local governments that intentionally make it more difficult and costly for the federal government to do its job," Cruz said.

Proponents cited the case of Kate Steinle, who was shot to death by Francisco Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had been repeatedly deported. Sanchez killed Steinle after San Francisco officials refused to honor a request to keep him in custody until federal authorities could pick him up.

Gov. Chris Christie, who also is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, has called on Congress to pass legislation named for Steinle that imposed a mandatory five-year prison sentence on those who re-enter the U.S. illegally after being deported. That provision was added to the Senate sanctuary cities bill.

Opponents of the bill said that protecting unauthorized immigrants was crucial to efforts to build trust between local police and residents, encouraging witnesses to crimes to come forward if they know they won't face deportation.

"Using federal purse strings to punish New Jersey localities that have policies upholding constitutional protections turns our democracy on its head," said Ari Rosmari, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. "Localities that have adopted limited detainer request policies have done so to protect public safety, build trust with immigrant communities, and uphold the protections in the Constitution."

The House passed similar legislation, largely along party lines, in July. President Obama threatened to veto the measure.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. 

An abortion doctor who lost his license last year has avoided a court hearing Wednesday by finally turning over records subpoenaed by the state Attorney General to determine whether he has relinquished control of his clinics.

TRENTON -- An abortion doctor who lost his license last year will avoid a court hearing Wednesday because he finally turned over records the state Attorney General subpoenaed in June showing whether he had relinquished control of seven clinics.

State Division of Consumer Affairs spokesman Jeff Lamm confirmed Tuesday that Steven C. Brigham submitted annual reports and contracts associated with the abortion clinics he was expected to forfeit when the board of Medical Examiners revoked his license a year ago for gross negligence, deception and official misconduct.

Brigham also turned in records pertaining to his four corporations: American Healthcare Services, Advanced Professional Services, Alpha Real Estate and American Wellness Services, Lamm said.

RELATED: N.J. medical board revokes abortion doctor's license

Lamm said the records were not public because they are tied to a "pending matter" before the attorney general. He declined to comment on what the records said.

Deputy Attorney General Bindi Merchant sent a letter to Superior Court Judge Walter Koprowski, Jr. asking the hearing be cancelled, Lamm said.

When Brigham and his attorney, Joseph Gorrell failed to provide the records, Merchant asked the judge to order Brigham to appear in court.

Gorrell did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

Brigham has not been allowed to practice since 2010, when the state Board of Medical Examiners found he had skirted state law by starting late-term abortions with five women. He administered a drug that killed the fetus in his South Jersey office, and ordering them to drive to his Maryland clinic, where the surgical procedure was completed.

Last year, Brigham lost an appeal and the board revoked his license.

Without his license, Brigham was required by state law to divest himself from the clinics he owned in Elizabeth, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Phillipsburg, Toms River, Woodbridge and Voorhees. He turned over the business to the company's medical director, Vikram Kaji.

But when an investigator from the Division of Consumer Affairs performed an unannounced inspection at a clinic in Hamilton April 22, Kaji denied he was the owner. During a closed-door hearing of a committee of the board on May 5, Vikram Kaji "repeatedly testified under oath that he was not the owner," according to state records.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

 

Amy Bozich, 56, of Niskayuna, N.Y. and Luke Bozich, 20, of Cranbury were arrested at the Nassau Street tavern at about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Princeton police said.

PRINCETON -- A mother and son were arrested at the Ivy Inn after the mom vouched to the bar - and police - that her son was 23 years old when he was only 20, police said.

File photo 

Amy Bozich, 56, of Niskayuna, N.Y. and Luke Bozich, 20, of Cranbury were arrested at the tavern on Nassau Street at about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Princeton police said.

Police say Luke Bozich presented a driver's license listing him as 23 years old and a bar employee questioned its validity. Amy Bozich then argued to the employee that her son was indeed 23.

The confrontation caused the employee to wave down a passing police officer, who intervened in the dispute. Amy Bozich stuck with her claim to the officer, police allege.

When police ran a computer check on Luke Bozich and found he was 20, both were arrested.

Luke Bozich was charged with tampering with public records for allegedly presenting a fake identification, and Amy Bozich was charged with hindering the apprehension of another.

Both were released on their own recognizance after booking at the police department.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.  

 

Fourteen chefs will prepare paella in the semifinals of an international contest.

COME ONE, COME ALL — and be sure to come hungry to the New Jersey Paella Festival on Oct. 24 in Jersey City.

The free festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at City Hall Park. It will feature food, flamenco dancers, musical performances and a cook-off.

During the day, 14 professional chefs — representing Venezuela, Chile, Portugal, Mexico, Catalonia, Spain, Cuba, New Jersey and Florida — will prepare paella as part of the semifinals of the International Valencian Paella Contest. The winners will travel to Spain next year to compete in the 2016 International Valencian Paella Contest World Championship.

Visit paellafortheworld.org.

OTHERWORLDLY WALK

Take A Walk With the Ghost Writer along the haunted streets of Cape May on Oct. 23 and 24.

Stroll the streets of Cape May with a ghost writer. 

Craig McManus, psychic medium and ghost writer, will guide visitors on a stroll through the gas-lit lanes of Cape May's Historic District and talk about houses in which he has sensed paranormal activity.

The tours take place on Oct. 23, at 6 p.m., and Oct. 24, at 6 and 9 p.m. Cost is $25 per person.

On Oct. 23, the adventurous also can spend Midnight at the Physick Estate. The evening's endeavor begins at 11 p.m. in the (some say) haunted estate, where McManus will share his ghostly experiences. Cost is $50 per person.

For both events, call (800) 275-4278 or visit capemaymac.org.

AND MORE ...

• Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band will play Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. the State Theatre, New Brunswick. Tickets to the show are $65 to $175. Visit statetheatrenj.org.

• Experience Gala di Carnevale, a festive Venetian-style carnival, on Oct. 23 and support The Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University in Oceanville. Fine art, live music and fortune tellers, as well as food and drinks, will be part of the 2015 fundraising gala. Guests must be 21 and older. The event runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $110. Visit noyesmuseum.org.

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Convicted killer Steven Fortin lost his bid for a third trial in the 1994 murder of Melissa Padilla in Woodbridge.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Convicted killer Steven Fortin lost his bid Tuesday for a third trial in the 1994 murder of Melissa Padilla in Woodbridge.

A three-judge appellate panel rejected Fortin's arguments that his 2007 conviction for the rape and murder of the 25-year-old mother of four young children should be overturned.

The judges also dismissed the Carteret handyman's arguments that if they upheld his conviction, his 2010 sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole was unconstitutional.

Fortin argued that several witnesses in his 2007 retrial, including his ex-girlfriend and several expert witnesses, should not have been permitted to testify because their testimony was not relevant, but the judges disagreed.

RELATED: N.J. man gets life in prison for 1994 murder of Woodbridge mother

"We reject these contentions and affirm," the appellate panel said.

The ex-girlfriend was necessary to establish motive, the experts were necessary to explain the forensic evidence, including the evidence of bite marks on Padilla and how they matched Fortin's dental records, the judges said.

The judges also discussed the lengthy legal history of the case that included several trips to the New Jersey Supreme Court including the reversal of Fortin's first conviction in 2001 at which time he was also sentenced to death.

Padilla was walking home with groceries along Route 1 to a motel where she was staying with her children when she encountered Fortin the night of Aug. 11, 1994.

During his two trials, prosecutors said Fortin, angry over an argument with his girlfriend, crossed paths with Padilla and attacked her, dragging her into a concrete drain pipe alongside Routes 1&9 in the Avenel section of Woodbridge.

Police had no suspect until Fortin was arrested eight months later in Maine on an unrelated drunken-driving charge, prosecutors said. During the arrest, Fortin struggled with a female state trooper and bit her on the chin and breast, prosecutors said. The bite marks from the Maine incident and dental impressions from Fortin matched the marks from on Padilla.

Fortin's first conviction and death sentence were overturned by the state Supreme Court, which said the trial judge had not thoroughly questioned the jurors on whether the evidence of Fortin's attack on the Maine trooper would unfairly prejudice them.

In December 2007, Fortin was convicted again for Padilla's murder, but the sentencing portion of his trial was not scheduled to begin until January 2008. In between the two, the legislature abolished the death penalty and replaced it with a term of life in prison without parole.

Superior Court Judge James Mulvihill, who presided over the second trial, ruled Fortin couldn't face the new penalty because it wasn't law when Fortin killed Padilla. He was upheld by an appeals court, but the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office took the case to the state Supreme Court which sided with the prosecutor's office in 2009.

Fortin's sentencing hearing was held in 2010 when a jury found no mitigating factors and he received life in prison without parole.

Padilla's daughter, Desiree, then 17, confronted her mother's killer, at his sentencing in 2010.

A toddler when her mother was murdered, Desiree Padilla told Fortin, "I was never able to kiss her goodbye. I have no memories of my mother, but I have a place in my heart for her. May you live with the guilt of killing my mother for the rest of your miserable life."

Desiree Padilla could not be reached for comment Tuesday about the appellate decision.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.