Newark Bears Set to Open 2012 Season

Community-focused Bears start season Thursday night against Worcester Tornadoes.

The Newark Bears had one final tune-up Wednesday afternoon before Opening Day and the start of their 15th season Thursday. The opponent however wasn't another team of professionals or a future opponent in the CanAm League the Bears participate in. Instead, it was the baseball team of Newark Tech High School. While it was merely an exhibition, the event was just the latest example of how the Bears are not just trying to be a winning team on the field but a part of the Newark community. "I think it's very important," said new Bears manager Ken Oberkfell about having that relationship with the city. "You want to meet as many people, as many organizations, as many businesses as you can. It promotes the team, it gets people into the ballpark. …

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James Caldwell Alumni Light Up Scoreboard for Monmouth Lacrosse

Former teammates reunite, help university achieve first winning season.

Two former James Caldwell High School lacrosse players, Vin Sodano (Class of ’08) and Griffin Nikolayuk (Class of ’11) reunited as players and friends on the lacrosse field this season at Monmouth University to help power the Hawks to their first winning season. After records of 1-8 and 2-5 in their first two years, this year the Hawks compiled a 9-2 record, finishing second in the Liberty Conference of the NCLL behind powerhouse St. Joesph’s. The Hawks scored 119 goals averaging just under 11 GPG with the JCHS Chiefs alums putting in more than half of those. Co-Captain and senior Vin Sodano had a team leading 41 goals and 9 assists, while freshman Griffin Nikolayuk added 22 goals and 23 assists. Head Coach Jerry Dohn says the team will …

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Anthony Fasano Foundation Holds Golf Classic

Tournament benefits Oakland's Reed Academy for children with autism.

The Anthony Fasano Foundation Golf Classic was held at the Montclair Golf Club in West Orange earlier this month. The outing, hosted by Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano, raises funds for the Reed Academy, a school in Oakland, N.J. that serves children with autism. In September 2011, Reed Academy opened its new home, a new school building whose playground is named after Fasano.  Among the guests and celebrities in attendance this year were Fasano’s Miami Dolphins teammates Austin Spitler and Richie Incognito, former Dolphins and Jets quarterback Jay Fiedler, Reed Academy founder Mike Sluka, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., Ryan Dorchak and Matt Miskowski from Caldwell’s Cloverleaf Tavern and Pat Capra, head of the …

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Caldwell's Gabby Roselle Aspires to Attend Naval Academy

Feature on JCHS junior, second basemen for Caldwell Chiefs softball.

Essex County Softball Tournament Heads to Quarterfinals

A look at this weekend's schedule for the 35th annual Essex County Softball Tournament.

The 35th annual Essex County Softball Tournament continues this weekend with the quarterfinal round. Last week, Newark Academy, ranked 15th in the tournament seeding, upset #2 Nutley, sending the defending champions home following a 6-4 loss. Other results last week included: #9 West Orange defeated #8 Bloomfield 8-0 #7 Caldwell defeated #10 Verona 4-2 #6 Montclair defeated #11 Belleville 4-0 #5 Cedar Grove defeated #12 Montclair Kimberley 10-4 #4 West Essex defeated #13 Glen Ridge 3-0 # 3 Mount St. Dominic  defeated #14 Columbia High School 8-0 #1 Livingston defeated #16 Newark East Side 13-0 The winners of the first round games will head to the quarterfinals on May 12.  The scheduled matchups for that round include: The winners of the …

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Free Jackals Exhibition Game Tonight

Can-Am League team takes on Rockland Boulders in only exhibition league game open to the public.

Looking for something fun to do with the whole family that won’t cost a lot of money? Head over to Jackals Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University tonight and catch the Can-Am league team take on their rivals, the Rockland Boulders. Admission is free and first pitch is at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m. This will be the only public exhibition game the team plays. Opening Day is Tuesday, May 29. View the season schedule. The stadium is located at 1 Hall Dr., Little Falls.  For more information, visit the Jackals website of call 973-746-7434.

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New Jersey Marathon Has Another Banner Year

About 13,000 racers participate in 2012 race.

The many changes to the 2012 New Jersey Marathon—including a new starting location and time—did not stop a huge number of runners and spectators from flocking to Oceanport and Long Branch on Sunday. About 13,000 participants enjoyed a perfect day and raced through the streets of several local towns as they raced to a finish on the Promenade in Long Branch. The race's new starting location of Monmouth Park eased parking and some traffic concerns for participants, and a shuttle service to and from the race track helped tired runners and spectators reach their destinations. Jason Page, of Durham, N.C., won the full marathon with a lightning fast time of 2:33:13. He finished first in a group of 2,304 runners. The half marathon, which traveled …

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Caldwell Softball Receives At-Large Bid to NCAA East Regional

The Cougars (37-14) are seeded fourth and will play fifth-seeded UMass-Lowell (33-16) on Friday in Connecticut.

The Caldwell College softball team was selected to participate in the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament. The Cougars (37-14) are seeded fourth and will play fifth-seeded UMass-Lowell (33-16) on Friday, May 4 at 2:30 p.m. at Yale University’s DeWitt Family Field in New Haven, Conn. This is the eighth appearance in the regional in the past nine years for Caldwell. Southern Connecticut State, ranked 18th nationally, are the No. 1 seed in the East Region and will serve as one of two hosts in the region. The Owls will play eighth-seeded Assumption College at noon on Friday. In the other East Region bracket, host C.W. Post, seeded third, will play sixth-seeded Dominican College at 1 p.m. Second-seeded Molloy College will face Adelphi …

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Teen to Ride 40 Miles for Holocaust Survivors Charity

Local boy participating in TD Five Boro Bike Tour Sunday.

Mark Yaroshevsky, of North Caldwell, will ride 40 miles in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour on Sunday, May 6. But completing the ride isn’t the only goal on the mind of this 13-year-old, who currently holds the title of New Jersey State Road Race Champion. Yaroshevsky has secured pledges to raise $1,000 for The Blue Card, a nonprofit that assists Holocaust survivors with the costs of medical, dental, rent and food expenses. The Blue Card is one of 40 official charities in the 2012 TD Five Boro Bike Tour Ride for a Reason charity program. Yaroshevsky is a descendant of Ukrainian Jews who were killed at Babi Yar during World War II. While studying for his Bar Mitzvah, the West Essex Middle School student wanted to learn more about his family's …

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What Do You Think of the Nets' New Brooklyn Logo?

Co-owner Jay Z designed a new logo for the basketball team, which was unveiled on Monday

The new "Brooklyn Nets" unveiled their team logos at a sporting goods store in Brooklyn on Monday. The new Nets' logos have a look that combines design elements from the New Jersey Nets brand with the words, "Brooklyn, New York," surrounding a basketball. "The Brooklyn Nets' logos are another step we’ve made to usher the organization into a new era," said hip-hop artist and team co-owner Jay Z, who designed the logos. "Along with our move to Brooklyn and a state-of-the-art arena, the new colors and logos are examples of our commitment to update and refine all aspects of the team." With the new logos, Jay-Z emerged as a triple-threat for the Brooklyn Nets organization—serving as co-owner, soon-to-be Barclays Center headliner and now, it …

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