The blaze broke out Monday at Billy & Madeline's Red Room Tavern in Hanover Watch video

Firefighters were battling a blaze Monday afternoon at Billy & Madeline's Red Room Tavern in Hanover.

Flames were visible through the windows and attic, and heavy smoke poured from the three-story building at the corner of Mount Pleasant Avenue and Parsippany Road. Firefighters were using ladder trucks to douse flames from above.

Authorities at the scene said the owners of the tavern live above the bar and restaurant. Though there was no immediate information about injuries, authorities said everyone had been evacuated from the building.

The smoky fire was causing traffic delays on Route 10. The restaurant's parking lot has an entrance from that highway.

The bar and restaurant has been a local stop for decades, according the tavern's website: "It opened in 1933 by Billys parents as Fornaros Tavern. It became Billys Red Room when Billy officially took over in 1959. The legendary Billy & Madelines Red Room Tavern was created in 1980 when Billy married the love of his life, Madeline."

Firefighters battle a blaze at Billy and Madeline's Red Room Tavern in Hanover on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Justin Zaremba | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

Hanover 2nd Alarm parsippany Rd at Billy's Red Room. pic.twitter.com/N20pCI945f

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) November 27, 2017

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A list of holiday events taking place throughout Hudson County this year.

Christmas is right around the corner, and there are plenty of places are celebrating. Here is a list of everything Christmas taking place in Hudson County this year:

Santa Paws Christmas Tree

The Hudson County Animal League is accepting $10 donations through Dec. 15 to have your pet's name/picture put on an ornament on their tree at the Bayonne Public Library, 697 Avenue C. The tree is already up and will stay up through Jan. 9, when you can retrieve your ornament. The star on the top of the tree is in honor of homeless animals. For information, reach out to Lorma Wepner at 201-437-7263 or lormalady@aol.com, or Chris Reilly at 201-437-8732.

Hoboken Christmas Exchange

Hoboken Grace is hosting its second annual Christmas Exchange, a program that helps families in need during the holiday season. People can sign up to help a family at HobokenChristmas.com. Once they sign up for a family, they will receive a list with the items the family has requested. All the items need to be dropped off on Dec. 8. For information or to register, visit HobokenChristmas.com.

Kearny Tree Lighting

The annual Kearny Tree Lighting ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 30. The night will start with a concert at Town Hall followed by a visit from Santa and the tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. The celebration will go until 8:30 p.m. with a festival at Town Hall, 402 Kearny Ave. For information, visit kearnynj.org.

'A Magical Holiday' Open House

The New Jersey State Botanical Garden on Morris Road in Ringwood is holding an open house of Skylands Manor decorated for the holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30 to Dec.  3. Group tours are available from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children 6 to 12 and free for children under 6. For information or to make a group reservation, call 973-962-9534 or visit njbg.org. 

Hilarity for the Holidays

Mile Square Theatre closes its season with "a comic treat for the winter holidays,'' "The 39 Steps.'' A fast-paced send-up of Alfred Hitchcook's very serious thriller, Patrick Barlow's adaptation is fun for the whole family. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23 at the theater, 1400 Clinton St., Hoboken. Tickets are $30 to $40; $18 for students and seniors. For information, go to milesquaretheatre.org or call 201-683-7014.

West New York Tree Lighting

On Friday, Dec. 1, West New York will have its Holiday Spectacular, beginning with a holiday parade that steps off at 4:30 p.m. at 67th Street and Bergenline Avenue. Following the parade, the annual Tree Lighting ceremony takes place at Town Hall at 5 p.m.

Bethune Night Out

At the Bethune Center in Jersey City there will be the Bethune Night Out's Winter Wonderland. It will take place from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 and is open to the public. People must be 18 or older to attend. There will be music, performances, a holiday marketplace, food, Draw and Sip and more. The Bethune Center is located at 140 Martin Luther King Dr. People can register for tickets on Eventbrite.

Project Greenville

There will be an art exhibit open at Project Greenville to celebrate the holiday season on Dec. 1 and 2. The group art show will feature paintings, crafts, photos, collages and other mediums that represent Christmas. There will also be hot coco, baked goods and a charity toy drive bin for people to donate new, unwrapped toys. Project Greenville is located at 128 Winfield Ave. in Jersey City.

The Hills Are Alive ...

St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City will perform "The Sound of Music" at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2 in the school auditorium, 2572 Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and children and can be purchased at stdominicacad.seatyourself.biz.  

Santa Fly-in!

Santa is giving the reindeer a rest and flying in to Teterboro Airport by helicopter for a pre-holiday visit sponsored by the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum on Dec. 2. Doors open at 10 a.m., and Santa is scheduled to arrive at 11. Admission is $8 for adults. Kids, with adult accompaniment, get in free. For information, call 201-288-6344.

Holiday Tricky Tray

Join the Hudson County Animal League for a holiday tricky tray from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Heart of Jesus Church, 290 Avenue E at 23rd Street, Bayonne. For information, call 201-200-1008.

Project: Market

Jersey City will kick off the holiday shopping season for the fifth year with Project: Market. The heated, outdoor tent will be outside of City Hall at Grove and Montgomery streets. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3. For information, visit thejersycityproject.com.

Hoboken Holiday Crafts Fair

The Hoboken City Hall Holiday Crafts Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 at City Hall, 94 Washington St. Local artists and crafters will have many products available including art, jewelry, fashion accessories, pottery, baby clothing, soap and body products, pet treats and more. Mrs. Claus will do face painting both days on the second floor. For information, call 201-420-2000 ext. 5100. 

18th annual Santa Parade

The North Hudson Fire Unions Charitable Foundation, in conjunction with North Bergen, West New York, Union City, Guttenberg and Weehawken, presents the 18th annual Santa Parade at noon Dec. 3 at Bergenline Avenue and 85th Street. The parade continues down Bergenline to 32nd Street.

Christmas Bazaar

St. John's Lutheran Church will hold a Christmas Bazaar and Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at the church gym, 155 North St., Jersey City.

Bayonne Christmas Tree Lighting

The City of Bayonne will host its annual Christmas tree lighting at Fitzpatrick Park at 4 p.m. Dec. 3. The Division of Recreation Young Children's Program will sing Christmas carols while Santa comes to visit. Fitzpatrick Park is located between 26th and 27th streets on Avenue C. For information, visit bayonnenj.org.

Hoboken Christmas Tree Lighting

The City of Hoboken will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting at 5 p.m. Dec. 5. The Hoboken High School and Hoboken Middle School choirs will sing along with appearances from the Girl Scout troops, Steven Hunter Taylor and Kristen Hoyt, the Garden Street School of the Performing Arts and more. The event will be at City Hall located at 94 Washington St. For more information, call 201-420-5100 ext. 5100.

Newport Tree Lighting

Newport's 16th annual tree lighting ceremony will feature all sorts of seasonal festivities from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Newport Town Square, the foot of Pavonia Avenue at River Drive South, Jersey City. Community members can pose for a photograph with Santa, enjoy traditional carols sung by the Dickensian Carolers, hitch a ride on the Santa Express train, collect crafts like Hanukkah gelt and dreidels, and chow down on sweet treats and hot drinks. 

Take Home Art

Drawing Rooms hosts its holiday fundraiser, "Take Home a Work of Art," from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7 at Gallery 109 Columbus, 109 Columbus Driver, Jersey City. More than 50 artists from all over New Jersey, the New York City area and Connecticut have donated original drawings, paintings and sculpture in support of the 20-room Jersey City art center that is celebrating its fifth year of exhibitions, artist studios and community outreach programming. Live music by Rich Casella.  For information, call 201-208-8032 or go to drawingrooms.org.

Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony

The Historic Downtown Special Improvement District will have its annual Historic Downtown Tree Lighting and Menorah Ceremony at 6:45 p.m. on  Dec. 7  at the Pedestrian Mall on Newark Avenue in Downtown Jersey City. For information, visit jcdowntown.org.

Christmas Spectacular in Union City

Union City will host its Christmas Spectacular on Dec. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. The event will feature Eddie Marco, John Jay Hebert, Cece Thom, the TapOle Dance Company and more. There is no cost for admission to this event. It will take place at the Union City Performing Arts Center at 2500 Kennedy Blvd. 

Visit with Santa

Families and their pets can go to the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre on Dec. 9 to get their picture with Santa. He will be at this location from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pets are asked to come from noon to 1:30 p.m. so people with allergies can go in the first hour. Families can purchase pictures for $5. If people bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event, the picture will be free. The theater is located at 54 Journal Square in Jersey City.

Holiday Market Winter Wonderland

The HDSID will have its holiday market on Dec. 9 and 10. The event will feature food, drinks, music, a variety of vendors and more. The vendors will sell clothing, accessories, art, jewelry and more. The event will be from noon to 6:30 p.m. each day at 325 Grove St. in Jersey City.

Sing-along For Kids

The Hoboken Historical Museum's annual Kids Holiday Concert takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Fire Department Museum's Assembly Hall, 213 Bloomfield St. Dave Lambert and Howard Olah-Reiken team up again to lead sing-alongs and jingle bells for a wide range of holiday classics. $5 per family. For information, call 201-656-2240 or go to hobokenmuseum.org.

Nimbus Dance Works

Nimbus Dance Works will perform "Jersey City Nutcracker" from Dec. 12 to 17 at the Frank R. Conwell Auditorium, 107 Bright St. The show tells the story of two children's urban holiday adventure, adapting Tchaikovsky's holiday classic with a Jersey City twist.

Performances open to the public are at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17. Performances from Dec. 12 to 14 are for schools only. Tickets range from $11 to $40. For information or to purchase tickets, visit nimbusdanceworks.org.

Kennedy Dancers

The Kennedy Dancers' Winter Holiday Showcase will celebrate different holiday traditions including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the winter solstice using ballet, modern dance, theatrical dance and folk dance on the stage of the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.

Along with the Kennedy Dancers, the Bugge Ballet and Dance Designs will also perform. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and children under 12 when purchased in advance. Prices will be higher at the door. A 10 a.m. performance is for schools only. The theater is at 54 Journal Square, Jersey City. For information or to purchase tickets, call 201-659-2190 or visit kennedydancers.org. 

Cantigas Women's Choir Winter Concert

Hudson County's Cantigas Women's Choir will have its 16th annual winter concert, "Winter Roses," at St. Paul Luthern Church, 440 Hoboken Ave., Jersey City, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16. The suggested donation is $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. For information, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/cantigaschoir.

Museum Crafts Fair

The Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., hosts its annual Holiday Crafts Fair from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17, featuring local artisans and craftspeople selling unique, handmade items from jewelry and accessories to cards and candles. Admission is free. For information, call 201-656-2240 or go to hobokenmuseum.org.

Church sing

Join the Our Lady of Grace Children's Choir, CCD children, Spanish Choirs, Young Adult Choir, Adult Choir and members of the congregation for an afternoon of Christmas song and inspiration from 3 to 5 p.m. on  Dec. 17  at the church, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken. Bring a piece of your home nativity set for a special blessing. Light refreshments follow. For information, go to olghoboken.com or call 201-659-0369.

Hoboken Holiday Market

The first Hoboken Holiday Market for charity will be at the W Hoboken at 225 River St. from 6 to 10 p.m. Dec. 19. The market will feature local Etsy and boutique shop owners. Tickets are $10 with all the proceeds going to the Dustin and Daniel Friedland Scholarship Foundation, which will allocate money to students at Hoboken High School to promote higher education opportunities. The ticket includes one glass of wine at the event. For information or to purchase tickets, visit hobokengirl.com.

If your municipality has an event that you would like listed, contact Kristen Keller at kkeller@jjournal.com

The 70-year-old Tenafly woman hit a rock embankment before her car partially oveturned

A 70-year-old New Jersey woman was killed in a single-car crash Saturday afternoon in upstate New York, authorities said. 

Eileen Blackwell, of Tenafly, was driving on Route 9W in Tompkins Cove at 1 p.m. when her car left the road, struck a rock embankment and partially overturned, Stony Point police said in a statement. 

Blackwell was brought to Nyack Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police have not determined a cause of the crash. Roads were clear and dry on Saturday. 

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call Stony Point police at 845-786-2422.

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

Chief John Dowie is retiring Dec. 1.

Kearny Police Chief John Dowie

KEARNY - Police Chief John Dowie is trading in his gun holster for tool belt.

The town's top cop is set to retire on Dec. 1 after serving as chief for 19 years. And to thank him for working with the Kearny Police Department for decades, the town has approved a two-year retroactive raise for Dowie.

The chief, who turned 65 this month, started his career in law enforcement with the Palisade Interstate Parkway Patrol. He spent two years on the force before he was hired as a patrolman in Kearny in 1979, the town he's lived in his entire life.

Dowie calls himself the "accidental chief" because he was happy as a captain and then as a deputy chief. In his nearly two decades as chief, Dowie says he's seen some changes and big crimes - including some high-profile murders and bank robberies - but one thing that has remained the same is the commitment he sees from the men and women in his department. That's one of the reasons he said he's stayed on the force as along as he has.       

"I get far more compliments about this department than I get complaints from the good people in town," Dowie said. "They really appreciate us. It's a good town, it's good people, they've given us a lot of support."

The town has approved a payout of $87,609.50 to Dowie - which breaks down to 36 unused vacation days, $51,744 in debriefing pay, $1,519.75 in unpaid longevity pay, and $5,687.53 in holiday pay.

The chief does not have a contract with the town, but he and officials agreed to a two-year retroactive raise. The chief will receive $15,581 in raises from 2016 and 2017 and will retire with a salary of slightly more than $188,000.

Dowie said he thinks the agreement is fair since the deputy chief is making more money per year after his longevity pay. The chief is the only cop not part of the union.

"I just wanted what everybody else had and I wanted the security of it for my family," he said. "I wanted to know I was leaving with what everyone else was."

Deputy Chief George King is expected to be appointed the next chief, either acting or permanent, at the next Kearny town council meeting.

Dowie said he's been wearing a uniform since he was 18 years old - he was a paratrooper in the U.S. Army before - and he's looking forwarded to wearing jeans and sneakers in the coming week.

He's planning to enjoy baseball stadium visits, country music concerts, and making renovations to his home in town.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

One North Jersey town says it plans revisit the rules it has in place regarding smoke shops, at the same time Trenton prepares to hash out whether marijuana legalization is really coming to the Garden State.

One North Jersey town says it plans revisit the rules it has in place regarding smoke shops, at the same time Trenton prepares to hash out whether marijuana legalization is really coming to the Garden State.

Welcome to Lodisterdam?

Not so fast.

Despite getting ahead of the issue as it waits for the legal smoke to clear, Lodi isn't yet ready to call itself eager to cash in on a budding pot boom.

"We're being proactive here because we know the new governor is going to make some changes," Lodi Mayor Emil Carafa said.

Carafa said he doesn't have an opinion on the legalization of marijuana, but wants his town to be prepared if -- or when -- the legislation is passed.

"We're just waiting to see the implications of what this is going to bring to our community and surrounding communities," Carafa said. "You can't isolate yourself from it. So, you want to be on target with it and moving forward and be able to have a dialogue with the community."

What you need to know about NJ's move to legalize marijuana

Governor-elect Phil Murphy, a Democrat, supported the idea to legalize recreational marijuana during his campaign, and said in an interview after he was elected that the issue was a "2018 priority."

"Obviously we want to assure that our children and residents feel safe and comfortable should these shops open in Lodi," Councilman Vincent Martin said in an email.

Democrats have already introduced a bill to legalize and tax marijuana. If passed, the state would be the ninth to legalize pot.

Once that happens, the state's hundreds of municipalities would have to weigh whether they would want a slice of the pie and allow businesses to produce and sell in their towns.

Or, they could decide to restrict the sales and forego potential conflict, but miss out on the money.

"I've been around enough time, I'm old enough and I just believe that it's coming and it's something we have to deal with," Carafa said.

The New Jersey League of Municipalities is forming a task force to look at the ramifications of legalizing marijuana.

The group could ultimately offer resources to members to assist them if marijuana were legalized, such as providing them with the correct language to use in an ordinance on regulating the location of a dispensary, Executive Director of the NJ League of Municipalities Michael Darcy said.

"The governor-elect is interested in moving this along expeditiously, so we'll have to work expeditiously as well," Darcy said. "We've got some learning to do."

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips

All eight candidates in the Dec. 5 runoff elections in Wards A, B, C and E have been invited to participate in the first JC Council Streets Forum from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 85 Wayne St.) The event is free and open to the public.

Safe Streets JC and Bike JC are co-hosting a Jersey City city council candidates' forum on Nov. 28, dealing specifically with the issue of cyclist and pedestrian safety.

All eight candidates in the Dec. 5 runoff elections in Wards A, B, C and E have been invited to participate in the first JC Council Streets Forum from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 85 Wayne St. The event is free and open to the public.

The candidates are Denise Ridley and Joe Conte in Ward A, Mira Prinz-Arey and incumbent Councilman Chris Gadsden in Ward B, incumbent Rich Boggiano and John Hanussak in Ward C and Rebecca Symes and James Solomon in Ward E.

The forum is geared to give the candidates an opportunity to address how they will make our streets safer and more accessible to all citizens over the next four years.

Officials with Safe Streets JC and Bike JC are calling traffic safety a chronic public health issue citywide. They said there were more than 575 pedestrians struck by cars in Jersey City in 2016 alone, according to Jersey City police records.

"Last year, Jersey City had 80 shooting incidents, yet over 575 pedestrians were struck by vehicles -- a staggering number," Safe Streets JC President Kara Hrabosky said. "Both matters are very serious dangers in our city. Yet traffic violence, which is largely preventable via design improvements, enforcement, and education, gets little attention from the city."

Hrabosky said the City Council adopted a "Complete Streets Policy" committing to make streets safer in 2011, but the city has yet to implement the policy.

"Safe cycling and walking are proven methods for making our entire transportation system safer," said Bike JC President Patrick Conlon. "Complete Streets are better for public health, our local economy, and the environment. The next council term must see bold and widespread improvement in these areas."

He was charged in connection with a hostage situation in Virginia involving an 18-month-old child.

ASBURY PARK -- A 27-year-old city man who was found slain in a sport utility vehicle on Wednesday night has a criminal record that includes charges of kidnapping in Virginia and was just released from prison in July, according to court records and news reports.

Denzel Morgan-Hicks was release from state prison on July 30. He was found dead in a vehicle in Asbury Park late Wednesday night. ( New Jersey Department of Corrections). 

Denzel Morgan-Hicks was found dead late Wednesday in the driver's seat of a 2017 Ford Expedition in the 100 block of Prospect Avenue, according to authorities. Law enforcement sources say he was found shot to death. 

As police search for more clues as to whom is responsible for his death, court records and previous media reports provide a clearer picture of his criminal past, which started at the age of 20.

Morgan-Hicks was charged in August 2011 with two other men for holding a man, woman and a young child hostage at gunpoint at residences in Smyth County, Virginia, which is roughly 100 miles south of Roanoke near the border of North Carolina.

According to a report in the Bristol Herald Courier, Morgan-Hicks and another Asbury Park man, Tyshawn Byrd, took a man at gunpoint from one home to another in search of money to steal. Another man stayed at the home with a woman and an 18-month-old child, the report said.

The woman and child were able to escape from the back window of the mobile home and flee to a neighbor's home, according to the report.

Authorities were able to locate the Chevrolet Impala Morgan was driving and he was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, three counts of kidnapping and one count of breaking and entering.

Morgan-Hicks, then 22, was indicted in September 2011. A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections said he entered prison in Virginia on March 14, 2012.

While locked up in Virginia, he was sentenced on Nov. 8, 2012, to five years for weapons charges he received in New Jersey on Oct. 31, 2010. No details of that incident were immediately available. 

Morgan-Hicks was released from prison in Virginia on May 11, 2015, and was transferred to South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton to serve the remainder of his sentence for the weapons charges. He was released on July 30.

Court records in New Jersey also show that Morgan-Hicks pleaded guilty on March 14, 2011, to resisting arrest in Ocean County, a fourth-degree crime. 

Morgan-Hicks, then 20, was arrested on Oct. 10, 2010 -- just days before his gun charges in Monmouth County -- after he was involved in a fight in Jackson Township in front of a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, the Asbury Park Press reported at the time.

The report said police arrived to find 300 people gathered in the parking lot and several fights happening. A police officer was injured as a result of one of the brawls, the report said.

Morgan-Hicks was sentenced on Aug. 2, 2013, again while serving time in Virginia and did not receive any additional jail time for the resisting arrest offense.

Authorities in Monmouth County are continuing to look for leads in Morgan-Hicks' death. 

Anyone with information is urged to call prosecutor's office Detective John Leibfried at 1-800-533-7443 or Detective Dillan Gourley, of the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-775-2936.

Anonymous tips can also be provided to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-671-4400,  or by texting "MONMOUTH" plus their tip to 274637, or, email via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

"It's important this story be told," one member of the historical society said.

Three markers were unveiled Monday in Camden to commemorate locations at which slaves were sold here in the 1700s and 1800s.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross were among nearly two dozen speakers at a gathering in a historic site near the Camden waterfront, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.

"This is a sacred day," Booker said after the ceremony. "This is a very important moment to understand the painful, complicated, brutal truth of our state. We're a state that's still haunted by a legacy of bigotry, overtly racist laws, housing policy, redlining all these things we're still grappling with today."

The two major locations for bringing slaves to market in New Jersey were Camden and Perth Amboy, according to the Camden County Historical Society, which launched research into the South Jersey sites and landed a $6,000 state grant to assemble and mount the markers.

"In the 1700s approximately 800 persons were sold into slavery in at what was then called Cooper's Point (now Camden)," the society said.  "There is documentation that enslaved persons were sold at the three ferry boat landing sites at Coopers Point, Cooper Street and Federal Street." 

Derek Davis, a historical society board member, who held up a photo of his great-great grandfather Henry Mathis who was born into slavery in Alabama in 1853 during the ceremony, helped launch the effort three years ago.

"You always get the picture that all slavery was in the South, but it was all over," said Davis, 55, a local banking executive. "It's important this story be told."

The three markers will be placed near locations where ferry landings were in the 1700s.

"While the auctions held at three different ferries in Camden appear to be limited to the 1760s, these sales likely introduced upwards of 500 new slaves to west New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania," a statement from the society said. "The regular movement of slave vessels up the Delaware River began in the 1750s, arriving at docks along the Philadelphia shore. Between 1757 and 1766, 1,300 African slaves reportedly disembarked from the Guinea ships. In addition to the newly arrived Africans, the Cooper ferries served as a venue for selling previously owned single slaves and small groups of those held in bondage."

The ceremony also included "prayers for ancestors" and moving readings and poems, including a passage from a historical society board member and poet, Sandra Turner-Barnes, who said research indicated the Cooper family, for which the ferries and large parts of the area are still named, once owned her relatives.

"We can look and be proud of how far we've come," said Edna Davis, 73, of Camden who attended the ceremony. "We made it and we're the best of the best."

The markers will be placed at the corner of Cooper Street and Front streets, along Delaware Avenue/Jersey Joe Walcott Boulevard at Federal and State streets.

Police said two armed men intercepted the family as it was returning home from a Thanksgiving weekend vacation.

The description reads like the chilling start to a crime drama.

Shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, a Short Hills family of four returned to their Addison Drive home after a five-day Thanksgiving weekend vacation. A mother and 20-year-old daughter walked toward their home. While a father and 13-year-old daughter were in the process of grabbing luggage from their car, a 2017 white Range Rover, they say two armed, masked men came up to them and grabbed the little girl.

"All of the sudden two guys...just appeared," said the family's father, who declined to give his name or be videotaped while talking to a throng of reporters outside his home Monday afternoon.

"They pushed my daughter against the car. I believe they had a gun. And they said, 'we're going to kill her, or give us the keys to the car and the money,'" he stoically explained.

After the man handed over the keys and cash from his wallet, the duo demanded the keys to a second 2017 white Range Rover parked in the driveway. This one belonged to the man's older daughter, he said.

After he handed over the second set of keys, "they let my daughter go."

The pair only made off with the first car. After having trouble starting the second, Millburn police say one of the men ran off and fled in a third vehicle that was waiting nearby.

With help from a Range Rover location app, police found the stolen car abandoned in Newark a short time later, the man said.

The family has a security camera at the front door, but the man said it's been turned off for about a month. Getting it back on-line was on his "to-do list," he said.

Police did not immediately answer questions Monday afternoon about how the carjackers happened to meet up with the family in front of their home. But, the man said he thinks they were originally there to steal the Range Rover parked in the driveway, and were interrupted by the parents and kids returning home from the vacation.

"I don't think anybody followed us," he explained.

In the upscale community still reeling from the 2013 fatal carjacking of a Hoboken lawyer shopping at the nearby Short Hills mall, the violent car thefts remain a threat.

According to the state police Uniform Crime Report, there were 13 auto thefts reported in Millburn from January to October of this year, a 28 percent decrease from the same period last year.

There were 138 carjackings in Essex County in 2015, the report said, a slight drop from the 2014 rate. Still, the county reported, by far, the most carjackings of any county in the state. All of New Jersey saw a total of 186 reported carjackings in 2015, data shows.

Still, the harrowing tale sent a shock through the quiet neighborhood.  

The man, whose family has lived in the house 11 years, and his neighbors said they can't remember anything like this happening before. Monday afternoon, dozens of kids and their parents and nannies were walking the tree-lined streets of the block, heading home from the nearby Hartshorn Elementary School.

Most declined to talk to reporters about the incident, but a 16-year-old neighbor who has lived down the street his whole life, said the news of the violent carjacking was whirling around the neighborhood Monday morning.

"My brother's 14, so (the girl is) almost his age," he said. "It's scary to think that it could have been us. It's right down the block...it's just a little unnerving."  

Authorities say they are actively seeking suspects in the case. As for the affected family, its patriarch asked for privacy as family members cope with the frightening experience.

"She seems ok," he said of his 13-year-old daughter, noting that he was glad his family was not hurt.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Matthew Nierstedt, 29, was the backseat passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the Nov. 16 crash.

JERSEY CITY - Speed does not appear to have been factor in the early morning car crash that claimed the life of an off-duty firefighter, according to a preliminary crash report.

Matthew Nierstedt, 29, was the backseat passenger in a 2013 Mazda on Nov. 16 when it collided head-on with a 2006 Acura on Paterson Plank Road. Nierstedt was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center about an hour after the 2 a.m. crash.

While it's evident one of the drivers crossed over the double yellow line as they approached the curve in the road, both motorists have denied being the person to cross the line.

Steven Carvache, 40, told police he was driving his Acura south on Paterson Plank Road when the Mazda, driven by 27-year-old Steven Zadroga, crossed over the double-yellow line, striking him head on near Congress Street, the crash report indicates.

Zadroga, however, said he was driving north when Carvache crossed into his lane. Zadroga said he swerved to the right and hit a guardrail, forcing his car back to the center of the roadway where he collided with Carvache's car, the report states.

Carvache and the passenger in his car, a 31-year-old Whippany resident, were both treated for injuries at Christ Hospital. Zadroga initially refused medical attention but later went to Jersey City Medical Center for treatment. The front seat passenger in Zadroga's car was brought to Hoboken University Medical Center.

The preliminary report indicates neither driver appeared to have been traveling at an unsafe speed or committed any other improper actions. Carvache was the only driver to have a blood sample taken, but the report indicates both drivers were in an "apparently normal" physical status - meaning drugs, alcohol, fatigue, or illness, were not visibly present.

Authorities from the Jersey City Police Department and Hudson County Prosecutor's Office continue to investigate the crash. As of Monday morning, no charges or summonses have been issued.

Nierstedt, a Navy veteran, was remembered as an "up and coming" firefighter who died just days before he was scheduled to take a promotional exam. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

A 21-year-old man was slashed multiple times during a workplace dispute, authorities said

BAYONNE -- A 21-year-old man was slashed multiple times during a workplace dispute, authorities said 

Frantz Legros, 60, of Brooklyn, faces aggravated assault and weapons charges for the Nov. 22 fight, police said in a statement. 

At about 9 a.m., police were called to a Hook Road business on reports of a dispute between two employees. The 21-year-old victim said Legros began swinging a box cutter at him during a "confrontation," police said.  

The victim had cuts on his right arm and was treated at the scene. Legros was arrested and released on a summons. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

The rider was not wearing a helmet

A Trenton man died Sunday night after when he was thrown from an ATV that crashed on North Olden Avenue, Trenton police said. 

Donny Derry, 36, was riding the vehicle in the 100 block of North Olden Ave. near old freight yards when he struck a concrete barrier at about 9 p.m., police said. The right tire of the ATV fell off on impact and Derry was launched from the vehicle. 

Officers found Derry while responding to a call about an unresponsive male. Medical personnel pronounced Derry dead on arrival from his injuries. He was not wearing a helmet, police said. 

During investigation, officers discovered the ATV had been reported stolen from New York.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The two members of the Street Crimes Unit have fired at suspects in the past

The two members of the Trenton police's Street Crimes Unit who fired at a suspect Saturday, wounding him, have both previously fired their weapons on duty, officials said. 

Bahin Lynch, 38, of Trenton, was allegedly running from police on Pennington Avenue and reaching for a weapon when two officers fired their weapons, a little after 5 p.m. Police did not say how many times Lynch was shot.

Lynch was later charged with aggravated assault, weapons offenses and resisting arrest, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said Sunday. 

Two law enforcement sources identified the officers who fired their weapons as Sgt. Jason Astbury and Officer Matthew Hutchinson.

"As always, the Trenton Police Department is cooperating with the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office in the investigation and has absolute confidence that the investigation is being conducted in a professional, objective  and transparent  manner," Police Director Ernest Parrey, Jr. said in a statement Monday. 

In February of this year, Hutchinson shot at a man in the city's West Ward, but did not strike him. The man later filed a lawsuit alleging excessive and unreasonable force while Hutchinson and another officer arrested him.

In 2004, Astbury and another officer fired at a man who was wielding a silver handgun on his girlfriend's porch, Times of Trenton reports show. The officers struck the man multiple times, and he died from his injuries. 

On Sunday, the prosecutor's office said Lynch was in serious, but stable condition. 

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

Jonathan Garcia, of Hoboken, faces multiple disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges stemming from the early Sunday morning argument.

HOBOKEN - A 21-year-old man was arrested outside police headquarters Sunday moments after being released from custody following a earlier arrest that night, cops said. 

Jonathan Garcia, of Hoboken, faces multiple disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges stemming from the early-morning argument with a family member outside the police station. 

At about 2:30 a.m., police officers patrolling Washington Street noticed a large crowd leaving Hoboken Bar and Grill. The officers found 27-year-old Desmond Bates, of Hoboken, screaming "extremely loud" and asked him to stop yelling, police said in a statement.

Police said Bates continued making racial remarks and used derogatory language. The 27-year-old allegedly made threats toward the cops if they arrested him. Garcia then joined in on the argument, authorities said.

After a brief struggle, Bates and Garcia were both placed under arrest and both were released on summonses. The argument came just one day after a brawl with as many of 40 people involved occurred near the same bar.

Outside headquarters, Garcia met with a family member who was waiting for him and the two began arguing about his arrest. Police went outside to try and break up the argument, authorities said.

The family member left the area, but Garcia continued to yell and act unruly, similar to the way her acted outside the bar, cops said. One of the officers fell to the ground while trying to handcuff and arrest Garcia again, authorities said.

Garcia was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. 

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

The man's death appears to be accidental

A fire in a Beatty Street home in Trenton Sunday night killed a Monmouth County man, Trenton police and firefighters said.

City Firefighters found Edward Smith, 31, of Allentown on a mattress in the front of the home in the 700 block at about 9:15 p.m., police said.

Police and county prosecutor's detectives believe the man's death was an accident, but continue to investigate Monday, police said.

The fire started in the area of the home's stove and also believed to be accidental, police said.

Fire Battalion Chief Steve Coltre said when firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from the front, first-floor windows, in the area where firefighters later found the victim.

Fire companies initially entered the rear of the structure to fight their way to the front, he said. They found the fire burned from the rear to the front.

The firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to the attached homes, Coltre said.

While not a resident, the man was not a stranger to the residents, Coltre said.

A dog also died in the blaze, officials said.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The alleged gunman surrendered to authorities a few days after the crime Watch video

In the moments after a gunman executed a patron inside Applebee's in Lawrence earlier this month, calls to 911 describe a mortally wounded man and a shooter without a description.

Noel Powell III 

"Someone just got shot at the bar," one caller says.

The dispatcher asks about the gunman, and the caller says the shooter left the scene. The victim was apparently shot in the head. He wasn't breathing, the caller says.

"He's face down in the bar, right now. He's not moving at all," a second call reports.

The dispatcher gives the caller CPR instructions and says it's OK to touch the victim. It's unclear what aid, if any, Smith received from bystanders, but authorities later said he was pronounced dead at the scene of the Nov. 14 crime.

In a call that was apparently a followup to 911 from what sounds like an Applebee's employee, a dispatcher presses the male caller for a description of the gunman.

"It happened so fast, but we do have cameras here," the man says. The caller appears to be talking to other people in the restaurant too.

Applebee's killing related to years-old dispute, sources say

"Does anybody know anything, sir?" Can anybody tell me anything?" the dispatcher asks.

"No, everybody's so shaken up and scared. It happened so fast nobody knows what happened," the caller says. The dispatcher asks of the man can "pull tape" and show it to the responding police officers. "Yep," the caller says.

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office would later allege the gunman was Noel Powell III, 27, of Lawrence, and he killed Devin Smith, 23, also of Lawerence. The crime was caught on the restaurant's security cameras, court documents show.

An eyewitness to the 12:25 a.m. slaying told investigators Powell shot and killed Devlin, and he knew both Powell and Smith, "for a number of years."

A decades-old dispute involving Powell and Smith, and their families, led to the killing, two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the case say.

Powell surrendered to authorities Sunday a few days later and is expected to be in Mercer County Superior Court for a hearing Tuesday.

Devin Smith, Facebook photo 

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

TRENTON -- A man who had been barred from possessing firearms because of his criminal history was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison after he was found with two handguns and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday. Jamal Williams, of the Bronx, N.Y., had previously been convicted of narcotics trafficking and weapons offenses in New York and New...

TRENTON -- A man who had been barred from possessing firearms because of his criminal history was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison after he was found with two handguns and ammunition, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Monday.

Jamal Williams, of the Bronx, N.Y., had previously been convicted of narcotics trafficking and weapons offenses in New York and New Jersey when he was arrested in Trenton on Nov. 11, 2014. Authorities found two 9mm Ruger pistols and 16 rounds during a search of his home and a storage unit he'd rented.

Williams had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

NEWARK -- Police have arrested more than four dozen people and seized three guns as well as a large quantity of drugs since Nov. 11, the department said in a statement Monday. The arrests and seizures are part of an operation launched in response to citizens' complaints. The drugs recovered included 426 decks of heroin, 311 vials of cocaine, 109...

NEWARK -- Police have arrested more than four dozen people and seized three guns as well as a large quantity of drugs since Nov. 11, the department said in a statement Monday.

The arrests and seizures are part of an operation launched in response to citizens' complaints. The drugs recovered included 426 decks of heroin, 311 vials of cocaine, 109 bags of marijuana and 12 pills, all with a combined street value of nearly $10,000, police said.

Among those arrested are Marold Wilcox, 23, who was allegedly found in possession of a handgun as he was riding a bicycle Sunday at Madison Avenue and South 14th Street, as well as Alterik Darby, 38, who police said was found with a handgun, heroin, cocaine and marijuana Sunday on South 7th Street.  

Several others were arrested for narcotics offenses and on outstanding warrants.

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

The ferry got stuck just off a pier near the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan

NEW YORK -- More than 100 passengers were rescued Monday evening from a ferry that ran aground in New York's East River.

The ferry got stuck just off a pier near the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.

The U.S. Coast Guard says the ferry was heading to the Rockaways area of Queens when it ran aground.

Police and fire rescue units responded to the scene.

There are no reports of any injuries.

The cause of the grounding remains under investigation.

Statewide, the median teacher salary in school districts in New Jersey ranges from as low asA $43,911 to as high asA $105,650. These were the districts in each of the state's 21 counties that paid their teachers the most.