East Orange Campus High School Senior Precious Osagie-Erese defended her Local Talk Community Foundation High School Public Speaking Scholarship Contest crown against 14 of her peers representing eight towns here at the Robert Treat Hotel Oct. 22.

Osagie-Erese, for the second straight year, received the best scores from a six-member judging panel. She received a winner's trophy and a $3,000 scholarship check from Local Talk Community Foundation at the end of the three-hour event.

Chris Eley, of the Newark Collegiate Academy and Matisa Winborne, of Newark's Malcolm X Shabazz High School, and their families joined the Osagie-Erese family on the Robert Treat Crystal Room floor. Eley and Winborne, both seniors, were respectively awarded by judges second and third place trophies and $2,000 and $1,000 checks.

ORANGE - The city's inaugural "A Taste of Orange" may well have become a fitting kickoff to its Aug. 1-5 Restaurant Week, even if the weather tried not to cooperate, here at Monte Irvin Orange Park July 30.

"Local Talk" found the taste still going strong with an hour to go despite the summer heat reaching into the high 90s that Saturday afternoon. Only a dozen people braved the sunshine to sit among the 40 lawn chairs before the Essex County-supplied portable bandstand to hear Kenny Bobbin, of Newark, perform at 4 p.m.

Most of the estimated 200 people were watching - and eating - from nearby shade. Many took seats from under a large white tent a few feet east of the lawn chairs. Some more were either standing beneath tree shades or were using their own chairs and umbrellas.

On July 26, 2011, Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. swore in the first two of 12 new firefighters hired under a federal SAFER grant from FEMA. In March, 12 laid-off firefighters were rehired as a result of work rule changes negotiated with the firefighters union.

The two new firefighters, Robert Glassman and Daniel Hessler, were hired under legislation sponsored by Senator Ron Rice (D-Newark) that expedites the hiring of firefighters with previous training and firefighting experience. The remaining 10 firefighters to be hired under the SAFER grant are presently attending the Fire Academy.

“When all 12 new firefighters are hired, the Orange firefighting force will have increased by 50% and the Fire Department will be much closer to full strength,” Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. said. “Today’s hiring is the fruit of the agreement negotiated with the Orange firefighters in March. I again thank the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Local 10 (FMBA) and Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez as well as Congressman Donald M. Payne for making this day possible. We recognize that the SAFER is for two years only, but it buys the time we need to seek new revenues and management efficiencies that will enable us to keep the Orange Fire Department adequately staffed.”

OraSure Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSUR), the market leader in oral fluid diagnostics, today announced its support of numerous rapid HIV testing initiatives in recognition of National HIV Testing Day, held annually on June 27^th. Now in its 17th year, National HIV Testing Day is an annual event led by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) to encourage the millions of Americans who are at-risk for HIV to receive voluntary HIV counseling and testing.   

“We are very proud to once again work with NAPWA and hundreds of city officials, public health departments, community-based organizations and hospitals nationwide in support of National HIV Testing Day,” said Douglas A. Michels, President and CEO of OraSure Technologies.  “Of the 1.1 Americans estimated to be infected with HIV, more than 200,000 are unaware of their infection.  HIV testing is the first step to learning one’s HIV status.  We are proud that our technology is a driving force in getting more people tested and enabling HIV-positive individuals to learn their status earlier so they can access care sooner.”