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Sunday at 3: LIVE VIDEO & chat for the 2018 State Wrestling Championship finals

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Full-broadcast video of the championship round, with reporters taking questions and offering analysis

Welcome to the LIVE VIDEO & chat page for the Championship Finals, scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m.

Along with the live broadcast, NJ Advance Media wrestling reporters will be hanging out in the comments section below, taking your questions and offering plenty of color commentary.

As we like to say, if you can't be there, be here. But even if you are there, be here as well, since this video player will work like your DVR, allowing for your own instant replays of the action. It will work on mobile devices.

Immediately after the final bout, the video will be available right here as a full on-demand replay.

The video player is below. Note that if you get to this page early, the player may say video isn't available, or it may be playing test video or appear to be stuck. That's not a problem, but you may need to refresh this page when the broadcast starts.  Keep an eye on the comments below for word on the actual start time and a cue to refresh. 

The live chat is in the comments section below.


Hot takes from the Finals and Consolations of the State Wrestling Championships

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NJ.com's coverage of the action at Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, continually updated all day.

N.J. pets in need: March 5, 2018

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Shelters and rescues throughout New Jersey have pets awaiting adoption.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own. Here are some suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

14-year-old student charged after social media post leads to school lockdown

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The 14-year-old Avenel Middle School student was charged with creating a false public alarm

A 14-year-old student was arrested after a social media post led to a lockdown at Avenel Middle School on Friday, authorities said.

A parent alerted police of the alleged threat, Woodbridge police said in a statement on Monday. Police investigated and determined no one in the school was in danger.

The student was charged with creating a false public alarm.

At least 17 charged in N.J. threat cases since Florida school shooting

There was a depiction of a firearm in the social media post, a police spokesman said. The student didn't claim to own a gun or possess one.  

Avenel is one of five middle schools in Woodbridge, the state's sixth largest municipality with a population of more than 101,000.

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

 

 

'Undocumented and unafraid' immigrants march on ICE headquarters

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The Newark protest was one of six rallies in New Jersey to mark what was supposed to be the end of the DACA program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Watch video

Nearly 200 protesters chanting "No papers, no fear!" marched through the streets of Newark to the offices of federal immigration officials Monday to call for an extension of the DACA program for unauthorized immigrants.

The protesters, who included both immigrants living in the country illegally and their supporters, shouted "Shame, shame" outside the windows of the federal building on Broad Street that houses the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE.

"Today, we stand here united to denounce this administration's hunger for mass deportation," Esder Chong, an unauthorized immigrant attending Rutgers University, told the crowd as the march began.

The marchers drew mostly cheers and honking horns of support as they walked about a mile from the campus of Rutgers-Newark to the ICE offices in the federal building. The protesters, who had a Newark police escort, briefly stopped traffic as they marched back and forth across Broad Street.

Their shouts in front of the federal building drew some Department of Homeland Security police officers outside the building, but the protest remained peaceful. Some people inside the federal building came to the office windows to watch.

The Newark demonstration was one of six scheduled around New Jersey Monday to mark what was scheduled to be the end of a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

President Donald Trump declared last year that March 5 would be the last day of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program unless Congress passed a new immigration reform plan.

06DACA.JPGProtesters marched from Rutgers-Newark to the federal building on Broad Street Monday in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. President Donald Trump planned to kill the DACA program on March 5 unless Congress passed a new immigration reform plan. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) 

Trump's plan to quash the program has been tied up in court, allowing the DACA program to continue accepting renewal applications from the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients. But protesters around the country are still using the March 5 deadline to call for protections for the young unauthorized immigrants known as Dreamers.

"This is my home. This is our home and we will keep fighting until everyone in our community is safe," said Chong, a DACA recipient and Rutgers sophomore who helped lead the Newark rally. "We are taking back the fear that stains this March 5 deadline set by the administration."

Chong said she came to the U.S. from her native South Korea at age 6 and grew up as an unauthorized immigrant in Highland Park with her parents. She is a sophomore at Rutgers-Newark and wants to be a public policy attorney. But, she said she is "worried and frustrated" as the fate of the DACA program remains undecided.

Several other DACA students told similar stories at the rally. Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor was among the officials speaking in support of the Dreamers.

"We are putting a stake in the ground for what we're supposed to stand for: E pluribus unum -- our of many, one. Out of many, community," Cantor said, quoting the traditional Latin motto of the United States.

The Newark rally is one of six scheduled protests across the state Monday. The other protests were planned for:

  • 12 p.m. at Rutgers-Camden, Campus Center, facing the Walt Whitman statue, in Camden.
  • 2 p.m. at the office of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, 4573 S. Broad St. in Hamilton Township.
  • 3 p.m at the office of U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, 425 N. Ave E in Westfield.
  • 4 p.m. at the office of U.S. Rep. Frank Lobiondo, 5914 Main St. in Mays Landing.
  • 5 p.m at Rutgers-New Brunswick, Brower Commons, 145 College Ave., in New Brunswick.

The protests were organized by more than 30 local groups, including RU Dreamers, New Labor, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, NAACP- New Brunswick Area Branch, Women's March on New Jersey and New Jersey Citizen Action.

President Barack Obama's administration began DACA as a way for some children brought to the country illegally to get protections to work and go to college without fear of deportation. Congress has been unable to agree on a plan to extend the program after Trump declared his plans to end it.

In New Jersey, approximately 22,000 unauthorized immigrants had registered under the DACA program as of last year. An estimated 51,000 immigrants living in the country illegally were eligible for the program in New Jersey.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporteron Facebook.

 

Students named to Pallone's Youth Advisory Council

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Students from Middlesex and Monmouth counties will serve on the 2018 Youth Advisory Council.

mx0304schoolnewbrunswick.jpgNew Brunswick High School students Alyssa Sanchez Lora, Yue Lian, Jennifer Miguel Torres, and Olga Miranda have been named to Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.'s 2018 Youth Advisory Council.

MIDDLESEX AND MONMOUTH -- Eighty-one students from Middlesex and Monmouth counties were recently named to Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.'s 2018 Youth Advisory Council.

The council is made up of civic-minded high school students from the Sixth Congressional District who meet quarterly to provide the congressman with insight into the matters that affect them and their peers, learn about the role of Congress and raise awareness about the Youth Advisory Council and other events hosted by the congressman.

The following students will serve an eight-month term on the Youth Advisory Council that will end in August.

From Edison High School: Duaa Ali, Jaielyn Alston, Arham Barbhuiya, Janaki Chandra, Aishwarya Devarajan, Kiran Kumaranyakam, Aidan O'Hara, Samhitha Padmanabhini, Olivia Tomasula;

Bishop George Ahr High School in Edison: Sonya Asdhir;

Metuchen High School: Alexandra Battaglia, Cristina Czochanski, Laura Jordan, Alanna Redwood;

John P. Stevens High School, Edison; Hrishikesh Bopalkar, Shriya Chitale, Jared Curry, Tyra Gravesande, Akhil Mohammed, Smitha Mukesh, Samhitha Mupharpahu, Aarushi Parikh, Alison Park, Janaki Patel, Tejasi Raghuprasad, Vivek Rallabandi, Sachika Shah, Tenzing Shakya, Shreya Shivakumar, Avi Sura, Afia Ullah, Aislinn Verma;

New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School: Ashley Mae Gorospe Catibog; Sarah Cladek; Jaylah Graves; Elvis Kouassi;

South Plainfield High School: Kyle Gallardo, David Jaipersaud, Sarah Regan;

MCVTS-Perth Amboy: Cristhian Jimenez;

Woodbridge High School: Sarah Kusnirak;

New Brunswick High School: Yue Lian, Jennifer Miguel Torres; Olga Mirand Munizaga, Diana L. Narvaez Vazquez; Alyssa Sanchez-Lora;

Old Bridge High School: Stefan Mandic;

MCVTS Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences: Arpita Mukherjee, Anika Pruthi, Shaili Singh;

Piscataway High School: Ritu Patel;

Sayreville War Memorial High School: Christian Quilon;

Marlboro High School: Jacob Beal, Cameron Leifer, Victoria Li, Shiza Munsar, Madison Rallis, Zoe Singer, Manisha VS Vadali;

Long Branch High School: Francesca Cancellieri, Sara Damiao, Kylie King, Samantha Minear;

Colts Neck High School: Dante Cano, Alexandria Henderson, Mary Kate Keevins, Brooke Lumer, Chloe McAloon, Sujal Saraiya;

High Technology High School, Middletown: Mary Chen;

Matawan Regional High School: Anthony Ferrara; Brianna Waithe;

Saint John Vianney High School, Holmdel: Aleeyah Goode;

Biotechnology High School, Freehold: Shreya Gupta, Nikhil Kalyanraman;

Ranney School, Tinton Falls: Olivia Metzger;

Middletown High School North: Victoria Millicker;

Asbury Park High School Dream Academy: Anyea Myles;

Freehold Township High School: Dylan Oechsner;

Asbury Park High School: E'Niah Preston;

Stanford Online High School: Riddhi Singhi

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

Authorities drop case against judge accused of helping fugitive boyfriend

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Carlia M. Brady, a judge in Middlesex County, faced two counts of hindering for allegedly letting her fugitive boyfriend in her home

Authorities have dropped the case against a suspended New Jersey superior court judge who was accused of helping her fugitive ex-boyfriend. 

23398065-mmmain.jpgCarlia Brady 

Carlia M. Brady, a judge in Middlesex County, faced two counts of hindering for allegedly letting her boyfriend, Jason Prontnicki, in her Woodbridge home without alerting authorities in June 2013. Police were searching for the man in connection with an Old Bridge armed robbery months earlier. 

Those charges were dismissed Thursday by a judge in Somerset County, where the case was moved since Brady sat on the bench in Middlesex County. 

Brady was originally indicted on a charge of official misconduct, as well, but that charge was dismissed by the appellate court last year. The hindering charges remained. 

No decision has been made on whether or not Brady will return to work at her $165,000-a-year-job, according to Peter McAleer, a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Brady's attorney, Tim Smith, has said that was his client's ultimate goal. 

Prontnicki was given 10 years in prison two years ago for an April 2013 robbery of a pharmacy, in which he threatened the workers with a lug wrench. 

Prontnicki was set to testify in the trial against Brady, which was in jury selection last week.

On Wednesday, though, an appellate court ruling reversed a court's order forcing the man to testify. The next day, Superior Court Judge Robert Reed dismissed the charges on a motion from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

"The victimization of Carlia Brady has ended," said Smith. "She was raked over the coals because some rogue cops were out to get a judge. She was the victim of a false arrest, a false charge, a false indictment and a malicious prosecution."

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Armed guards or retired cops in N.J. schools: What's the difference? (About $70K)

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So you want a cop with a gun in school? Here are the options districts are facing.


Photos of every medalist at the 2018 State Wrestling Championships

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A collection for the history books - 112 medalists.

See how every N.J. public high school scored on the SATs

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Did your school beat the state average?

Even if your high school didn't make the list of N.J.'s 50 best SAT scores, there's a chance its results were still pretty good. 

The state's Class of 2107 posted an impressive average score of 1,103 out of 1,600. That's with an average score of 551 in reading and writing and a 552 in math.

Scores at individual schools followed a predictable pattern as magnet schools or academies with selective enrollment achieved the state's best results. 

Results at traditional high schools continued to correlate to demographics.  Students are more likely to score well if they have parents who attended college and a high family income, according to College Board data. 

Use the tool below to find the SAT scores for each of N.J.'s public high schools. 

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Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClarkFind NJ.com on Facebook.

 
 

Middlesex County school closings, delayed openings (March 7, 2018)

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Middlesex County school districts announced closings and delayed openings ahead of Wednesday's big coastal storm.

Another big coastal storm is headed for New Jersey and bringing a mix of snow, rain and wind causing schools throughout the state to announce closings and delays for Wednesday.

The following Middlesex County schools are closed or have delayed openings for Wednesday, March 7:

CLOSED:

  • Rutgers University - all classes canceled as of 8 a.m. Wednesday
  • New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Berkely College, Branch Campus
  • Carteret School District
  • Cranbury
  • Dunellen
  • Highland Park
  • Middlesex 
  • New Brunswick
  • Saint John Vianney
  • South Amboy
  • South Plainfield
  • South River
  • West Windsor-Plainsboro
  • Woodbridge Township

DELAYED OPENINGS:

  • No announcements yet

EARLY DISMISSALS FOR WEDNESDAY:

  • Monroe High School (12:01 p.m.)
  • Monroe Middle School (12:44 p.m.)
  • Monroe Township PDD and Grades 1 through 4 (1:20 p.m.)
  • A.M. and P.M. Kindergarten will combine and all kindergarden will be dismissed at 11:25 a.m.

If you know of any delays or closures not on this list, let us know in the comments.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

17 great storylines from the ice hockey state tournament

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Best stories, moments & performances that helped define the 2017-18 season.

Judge back on bench after charges dropped. Ethics committee still looms

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The move to put Carlia M. Brady back to hearing cases in the civil division less than a week after authorities dropped the case

A New Jersey superior court judge who was criminally charged with helping her fugitive ex-boyfriend nearly five years ago has been reinstated in Middlesex County, according to a state Supreme Court order. 

23398065-mmmain.jpgSuperior Court Judge Carlia M. Brady (File photo) 

The move to put Carlia M. Brady back on the bench in the civil division comes less than a week after authorities dropped the case against the Woodbridge resident.

Brady's alleged role in helping her then-boyfriend, Jason Prontnicki, avoid arrest after the armed robbery of an Old Bridge pharmacy will still be put to the state's Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, which investigates potentially unethical judicial conduct, according to the order by the state Supreme Court. 

The judge could still face discipline from the committee, which could recommend public or private discipline, ranging from guidance or caution to public reprimand or dismissal.

Brady's attorney, Tim Smith, said her return was "deserved and overdue," and he believed it should be without any punishment. 

"I'm elated at the fact the Judge Brady has been returned to the bench," he said. "She did absolutely nothing wrong criminally, ethically or morally. Her actions at all times during the period of relevant events was in conformance with the law and with the standards of the judiciary."

Brady, who was suspended without pay from her $165,000-per-year job in 2013, was accused of arranging and letting Prontnicki into her home while authorities were searching for him. Police said the judge should have notified authorities to the man's whereabouts. 

Prontnicki -- who was sentenced to 10 years in prison over the April 2013 robbery of a pharmacy, in which he threatened the workers with a lug wrench -- was scheduled to testify against Brady, at her trial. 

However, last week, as lawyers were selecting a jury ahead of her trial, an appellate court ruling overturned a judge's order forcing him to take the stand against the judge.

The next day, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office moved to get the charges of hindering against her dismissed, and Superior Court Judge Robert Reed approved the motion.

Brady also was previously charged with official misconduct, but an appellate court panel threw out the charge last year. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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We interrupt this nor'easter for video of a T. Rex shoveling snow

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Check out what the weather looked like this morning in different areas of the state, where some already have their shovels out while others are still waiting for the snow to start.

HS hockey Final 50: NJ.com's 2017-18 year-end rankings

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One last assessment of N.J. hockey's best teams in 2017-18.


Middlesex County school closings, delayed openings Thursday (March 8, 2018)

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Middlesex County school districts announced closings and delayed openings for Thursday following Wednesday's winter storm.

Much of New Jersey was hit hard by another nor'easter, which brought winds, rain and snow on Wednesday and prompted Middlesex County schools to announce closings and delayed openings for Thursday.

The following schools are closed or have delayed openings for Thursday, March 8:

CLOSED:

  • Berkely College
  • Carteret School District
  • Cranbury School 
  • Dunellen School District
  • East Brunswick Public Schools
  • Edison schools
  • Gateway School
  • Highland Park Public Schools
  • Jamesburg Public School District
  • Lakeview School
  • Metuchen Schools
  • Middlesex School District
  • Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools
  • Milltown Borough Public Schools
  • Monroe Township
  • New Brunswick Public Schools
  • North Brunswick Public Schools
  • Old Bridge Public Schools
  • Perth Amboy School District
  • Piscataway Public Schools
  • Saint Bartholomew School
  • Sayreville Public Schools
  • South Amboy School District 
  • South Brunswick School District
  • South Plainfield Public Schools
  • South River Public Schools
  • Spotswood Public Schools
  • Woodbridge Township

DELAYED OPENING:

  • No announcements made

EARLY DISMISSAL:

  • No announcements yet 

If you know of any delays or closures not on this list, let us know in the comments.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

When it will all end ... the snow in N.J., we mean

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When will it stop snowing in New Jersey? We'll tell you in this new N.J. weather update.

The messy March coastal storm continues to swirl off the Atlantic coast, sending bursts of heavy snow over some parts of New Jersey and a mix of rain and sleet over other areas of the state late Wednesday afternoon. Oh, and rumbles of thunder too.

But when will the snow end in New Jersey?

In South Jersey, the precipitation should start winding down between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., and in North Jersey the precipitation should begin to get lighter between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., with some intermittent snow lingering until midnight, said Rob Reale, a meteorologist at the WeatherWorks forecasting company in Warren County.

By the time it's all over, some towns in the northwestern region of the state could be blanketed by 10 to 16 inches of snow, Reale said. And towns in the northeastern region could get anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow.

No blizzard this time, but lots of 'thundersnow'

During the early afternoon, heavy bands of snow were pounding Morris and Somerset counties, falling at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour, according to a report by News 12 New Jersey.

At 2 p.m., the National Weather Service reported heavy snow falling in Teterboro and Trenton, light snow falling in Toms River and Wildwood, and a thunderstorm occurring in Mount Holly and Wrightstown. Just one hour later, heavy snow was falling in places nowhere close to each other: Atlantic City, Caldwell, Mount Holly and Sussex.

The weather service has received numerous reports of "thundersnow" -- quick, heavy bursts of snow accompanied by blasts of thunder and bolts of lightning. 

Heaviest snow so far

Among the highest snowfall accumulations reported as of 2:30 p.m. were 12 inches in Stockton in Hunterdon County, 7.5 inches in Roxbury in Morris County, 6.7 inches in Wantage in Sussex County, 6.5 inches in Stillwater in Sussex, 6 inches in Ledgewood in Morris, and 5.3 inches in Cedar Grove in Essex County.

Weather radar shows additional heavy bands of snow moving across the Philadelphia area and parts of the Jersey Shore as of 3 p.m., and heavy bands of snow continuing to pummel Somerset County, northern Mercer and southern Middlesex.

Once the snow is over Wednesday night, temperatures will be dropping only slightly, down to about 30 degrees, forecasters said. Thursday is shaping up to be a partly sunny day, with highs in the low to mid-40s, but the mercury will dip into the upper 20s overnight Thursday into early Friday morning.

The next few days should remain dry, but forecasters are keeping their eye on a potential storm system that could bring a chance of rain or snow to our region Sunday night and Monday. 

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

Vintage photos of things you may have forgotten about

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"Children will always be blissfully unaware of the lives their parents or grandparents lived before them."

On a typical day in the 1970s, a guy like me might put on my Earth Shoes and drive an El Camino to school, opening the vent window on the way.

I may have listened to a teacher discuss the Jonathan Livingston Seagull novel and then climbed a rack of thick wooden dowels in gym class. Members of the A/V club might have wheeled a projector into a classroom for a film presentation.

After school, I might work on a term paper on an electric typewriter, keeping a bottle of Wite-Out correction fluid ready to employ.

I might listen to music on a boom box, or decide what to watch on TV after consulting TV guide. Naturally, I would change the channel by turning the knob on the set and I would hope the picture was decent after adjusting the vertical hold.

a65ada6bb37146db2a52eac35ef7ab22.jpgYou know what this was used for, right? 

As much as this might sound like someone speaking a foreign language to millennials, all of this was part of daily life not terribly long ago.

Many of the items in this gallery were technical wonders of their day ... and seem almost funny today. An article on vox.com notes that "It's easy to argue that generations of people no longer exist in neat baby-boomer time periods. Instead of years, we should label generations by the dominant technology they use. Children will always be blissfully unaware of the lives their parents or grandparents lived before them."

MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey

Which is why collections like this one are both entertaining ... and educational.

Here's a gallery of things you may have forgotten about, or put a great deal of effort into intentionally forgetting about. And here are links to some other galleries you might enjoy.

Vintage photos of things that have changed - for better or worse

Vintage photos of how things have changed in N.J.

Vintage photos of New Jerseyans engaged in 'dicey' activities

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

If our Jersey sisterhood of Jews, Muslims can bond, so can the world | Opinion

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#IWD2018: The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom has created a framework for women to bond together and then commit to resolving some of the current hateful rhetoric.

By Heba Macksoud

When I first heard about the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, it sounded strange to me: A few older Jewish women wanted to get together with a bunch of Muslim women in New Jersey to "get to know them."

I joined as one of the Muslim women. It was my first exposure to the Sisterhood, an organization focused on building relationships between Jewish and Muslim women in an effort to end anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish bigotry. 

I had two sets of twins, aged four and 10, working full-time in Manhattan and running a full-time business, as well as volunteering. I was only ambivalent because the long-term goals seemed monumental. However, I absolutely needed to be part of it.

At Sisterhood meetings, we discuss our lives and stories in the comforts of each others' homes; I have learned that the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom is built on a premise we can all learn from: the idea that simply sharing our stories with each other -- and empathizing with those of other faiths and backgrounds -- is the first step toward building a more peaceful world. 

There is a big misconception that all Muslims and Jews do not get along because of the Palestine-Israel state of affairs, and that is simply false.

There are 1.7 billion Muslims in the world from over 50 majority-Muslim countries. There are almost the same number of Muslims as Jews in the U.S. (approximately 6 million) but less than 18 percent of Muslims are Arab and even less than half of that number are Palestinians.

I do not mean to minimize the importance or reverberating effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- only to point out that it is not the defining backdrop against which all Muslim-Jewish relations take place. The issue that actually unites me with Jewish people is the way we are sometimes vilified because of our faith.

Fighting anti-Semitism and Islamophobia is core to our mission.

That's why there are 26 chapters of the Sisterhood in New Jersey alone: starting on the local community level creates change that reverberates far beyond a single meeting or even a certain town. 

For example, the Princeton chapter includes women from Lawrenceville, Princeton and East Windsor, but as more and women join, the chapters become more centralized for the town. The chapter leaders attend online meetings in order to share best practices and learn from each other. We have an annual conference where chapters from across the country -- and a few international ones -- get to meet in person.

My new friends and I are all from North Brunswick and South Brunswick, and the relationships we've created in the Sisterhood extend beyond the bounds of our discussions in meetings.

We have learned to participate in each other's traditions, met each other's families, and ultimately forced that boundary of other-ness to fall away. A few years ago, Sheryl, one of the founders as well as an observant Jew, hosted a Ramadan dinner (known as an iftar) for all the sisters and their families in her North Brunswick home. The experience blew me away.

heba-friends.jpegSisterhood of Saalam Shalom members Heba Macksoud, right, Sheryl Olitzky, center, right, Amaney Jamal in South Brunswick. (Courtesy Heba Macksoud) 

She offered the most elaborate dinner I've ever seen, complete with custom stuffed dates and decorations. Her husband, a rabbi, invited us to pray our sundown prayer in his sanctuary room where he reads the Torah. The best part was to be able to share that experience with my husband and four kids: it taught my family how we should be as Muslims. 

I often hear from people that they are not happy with the current state of divisiveness that has plagued our country, but they are not sure what they can do about it. The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom has created a framework for women to bond together and then commit to resolving some of this hateful rhetoric. Simply being around others who, through the bond of friendship, can teach you about something you didn't know, offer advice, or provide an ear to listen is a start. 

We have also all committed to doing at least one act of charity together every single year. Recently, my chapter made food and served people both at the men's and women's shelter at the Reformed Church in New Brunswick. The act of bonding together while doing something good and being visible to others while doing this was an incredible experience.  

So this International Women's Day, let's look to the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom as a model that all of us, no matter our background, can follow.

What begins as sharing sharing stories can transform into connections that transcend social divides and ultimately help chip away at bigotry and hatred. We can do nothing, or we can do something -- and I honestly believe this is a very powerful way to "wear someone's else's shoes" and see the world differently.

Heba Macksoud has spent over 20 years working at major media companies such as MTV and The Wall Street Journal as well as over four years at Zaytuna College, America's first and only Muslim Liberal Arts College as a Digital Media professional. She is also Board of Trustees member of The Islamic Society of Central Jersey in South Brunswick and on the Board of Directors for The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. She lives in Princeton with her husband and four children.

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Street skiing? Rutgers students shred New Brunswick, but police are not amused (VIDEO)

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Their snow day antics have gone viral.

Oh, those college snow days.

Study? Nope. Catch up on some sleep? No, thanks. Grab your friend's minivan, tie some rope to the end of it, slap on your skis and have a driver pull you through the streets of New Brunswick. Why not? 

That exactly what Jackson Luis and Alex Borgo, president and vice president of the Rutgers Ski and Snowboard Team, decided to do. Street skiing, they're calling it.

 

Luis said it felt no different than any other ski session he's had in the last 18 years -- except someone tried to ruin the fun.

At one point one of the guys blurts out, 'Oh, that's a cop,' and the video quickly cuts.

And yes, they were stopped by the police who asked them if what they were doing was a smart thing to do. The students admitted it was not, and the police said then they probably shouldn't be doing it, according to Luis.

While they appreciated the advice, it didn't stop them from continuing to shred the streets. Luis said they passed many cops throughout the day, and were mostly ignored by them.

In a statement, Rutgers spokesman Neal Buccino said the Rutgers University Police Department "did not observe the activity shown in this video and has no information on whether the individuals involved are affiliated with the University."

Luis also added he hopes this is not going to be a one-time thing. He said we can expect street skiers "in greater numbers" next time snow hits the campus.

"Wear a helmet!" is his advice for others who want to give the newly coined sport a shot. (Our advice? Don't try this at home.)

Also, street skiing is "unsafe and a violation of motor vehicle laws," Buccino said.

This story has been updated with comment from Rutgers officials.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJFind NJ.com on Facebook

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