All Highlights (1,025)

It was déjà vu in the first round of the state high school fencing tournament with Columbia High School’s boys’ and girls’ teams quickly knocking off their opponents to move into the second round.

On Tuesday Feb. 7, the boys faced Bergen Tech, clinching the meet just 16 bouts into the 27-bout session, finishing with a score of 21-6. It was the girls’ turn on Wednesday Feb. 8 as they clinched against Ridge in the 19th bout and finishing with a score of 18-9.

As usual, John Kelly,…

Hello,



I know this is was mentioned late last year and early this year, but we are on the final stretch for moving our site to its new home. Unfortunately we will have to require our members to rejoin our new site. Please find your way to it now and sign up. Still free of course, and still the same great news and information.…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

South Orange trustees have had private talks about possibly suing the town’s former attorney for malpractice for his work during the firehouse renovation, according to officials.

“It’s a discussion that we’ve had in closed session,” Trustee Howard…

By Joe Ragozzino

Sports editor

Maxim Michel scored 23 points and Michael Runcie had 15 points and four rebounds as the fourth-seeded Columbia High School boys’ varsity basketball team began its Essex County Tournament run with a 64-57 home win over No. 20 seed Verona last Saturday Feb. 4 in the round of the 16.

The Cougars led 29-25 at halftime and 45-43 at the end of the third quarter before outscoring Verona, 19-14, in the fourth quarter.

Justin Martin had…

By Joe Ragozzino

Sports editor

The Columbia High School boys’ and girls’ indoor track and field teams each finished second in their respective boys’ and girls’ team standings at the Essex County Championships at Seton Hall University last Sunday Feb. 5.

Olivia Baker won three events to lead the girls’ team. The sophomore captured the 400-meter run in 56.87, just missing the meet record of 56.70. She also won the 200-meter dash in 25.70 and the 800-meter run in…

Alana Ferruggiaro scored 13 points but the 10th-seeded Columbia High School girls’ varsity basketball team lost to seventh-seeded University, 47-27, in the round of 16 of the Essex County Tournament last Saturday Feb. 4 in Newark. Leilani Schultz-Joy had six points and Kyrsten Van Natta netted four points for the Cougars, who lost their eighth straight game and fell to 2-12. In the previous day, the Cougars lost to West Essex, 47-27, in North Caldwell. Van Natta had 14 points, Iyonah…

Alana Ferruggiaro scored 13 points but the 10th-seeded Columbia High School girls’ varsity basketball team lost to seventh-seeded University, 47-27, in the round of 16 of the Essex County Tournament last Saturday Feb. 4 in Newark. Leilani Schultz-Joy had six points and Kyrsten Van Natta netted four points for the Cougars, who lost their eighth straight game and fell to 2-12. In the previous day, the Cougars lost to West Essex, 47-27, in North Caldwell. Van Natta had 14 points, Iyonah…

The Columbia High School varsity wrestling team went right back to work after the Essex County Tournament on Jan. 28, facing a Nutley team that had won the ECT title.

Due to a few injuries and illness, the Cougars sent a shortened team to Nutley on Feb. 1 and had a few highlights despite the loss. Senior captain KJ Jarrett, who was named the ECT Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the 106-pound title, continued his winning ways with a technical fall over Nutley’s Juilian Figueroa.…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

South Orange remains undecided as to whether it will install a camera system to catch motorists who run red lights.

The technology, used on a trial basis in more than 20 municipalities statewide, would enable…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

Some local residents are urging the Maplewood to adopt a comprehensive “complete streets policy” to make its roads as safe and accommodating as possible for bicyclists, pedestrians and all other users.

Helping to move the township in that direction is South Orange-Maplewood Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit group that promotes bike use in the sister towns.

The grassroots organization…

Photo:

Abby Garaban of the Celtics JV Girls lines up a foul shot.

The St. Joseph’s Celtics basketball teams had a full schedule of games this past weekend playing some stiff competition but still brought home five wins.

Game Highlights

The Celtics JV 6th grade…

Photo by Bill Viqueira.

The Columbia High School boys’ fencing team won its third consecutive overall District 3 title Sunday Jan. 29 at Wayne Valley. The Cougars dominated the district tournament with a 73-victory performance, beating second-place Gov. Livingston and Millburn…

Top photo by Steve Ellmore.

Columbia High’s KJ Jarrett controls Nutley’s Anthony DeLorenzo…

By Joe Ragozzino

Sports editor

The Columbia High School boys’ varsity basketball team, seeded fourth, will begin play in the Essex County Tournament at CHS on Saturday Feb. 4 against the second-round preliminary winner between No. 13 seed Livingston and No. 20 seed Verona.

The Livingston/Verona game was scheduled for this Tuesday. The Cougars received byes in the first and second preliminary rounds.

Evans Osuji scored a game-high 23 points and David Runcie…

The Columbia High School boys’ swimming team finished fourth overall out of 11 scoring teams in the boys’ division at the Essex County Championships on Sunday Jan. 29 at Seton Hall University.

The Cougars won the 200-yard freestyle relay. Nigel Hunter, Basil Bryant, Randolph Hunter and Krishna Duvvuri swam a combined 1:32.63.

Duvvuri placed second in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:02.11. Duvvuri also took second in the 100-yard breast stroke in 1:03.16. Hunter was second in the…

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

Fewer burglaries in 2011 contributed to a nearly 11.5 percent drop in crime in South Orange last year, the South Orange Police Department reported Jan. 23.

Police Chief James M. Chelel credited the work of the officers in the department, and highlighted the role technology is playing to help police solve crimes. In all, South Orange had 438 crimes last year compared to 494 in 2010.

Helping…

South Orange trustees are on track to introduce an ordinance Feb. 15 to create a special-improvement district, or SID, to manage the village’s downtown.

An SID is a nonprofit entity that recruits and promotes businesses.

Property owners in the designated area pay a separate tax, or special assessment, based on the assessed value of their properties, to help finance the SID.

Trustee Nancy Gould said Jan. 24 she expected her colleagues…

South Orange’s next village administrator has a background in the public and private sectors as an attorney in two states, and as business administrator for three New Jersey towns.

Barry R. Lewis Jr., scheduled to start his new job Jan. 30, emerged from a field of more than 50 applicants interested in…