How secure the some 87 residents of the McIver Homes at 111 South Munn Ave., whose management has apparently replaced two paid guards with a closed circuit television system Dec. 1, may be either a question of substance or of perception.

That question has reached the ears of East Orange council members and police department at least by the former's committee meeting here at City Hall Dec. 5. The council, responding to 10 McIver residents and an 11th public speaker, is reviewing their options with their legal department.

"We're looking for a copy of the lease," said Fourth Ward Councilman William Holt to "Local Talk" after their meeting. "We want to see with our Department of Law what the lease says about security."

Attorney General Paula T. Dow, Criminal Justice Director Stephen J Taylor and Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez announced indictments charging 40 people - including six former MVC clerks, 21 customers, and 13 brokers and other intermediaries - with participating in criminal rings that illegally sold New Jersey digital driver’s licenses to unauthorized persons at five local motor vehicle agencies.
 
According to Director Taylor, the Division of Criminal Justice obtained six state grand jury indictments charging all 40 defendants with conspiracy, official misconduct and computer criminal activity, all in the second degree, and third-degree tampering with public records or information Many defendants were also charged with second-degree bribery, and most of the clerks, brokers and other intermediaries face multiple counts of each charge. The second-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and the clerks would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole under New Jersey’s anti-corruption laws.
 
The defendants allegedly conspired in schemes in which brokers and MVC clerks sold New Jersey digital driver’s licenses to customers who did not have the required six points of identification. In some cases, the customers, who are foreign nationals, did not qualify for a license because they were in the United States illegally. In other cases, they lacked sufficient documentation. The customers paid between $2,500 and $7,000 for a driver’s license or license renewal, and the MVC clerks and brokers split the proceeds of the illicit sales.

On October 5, 2011, the East Orange Chamber of Commerce organized its annual luncheon meeting with the mayor of East Orange. East Orange Chamber President Amir Hashemi welcomed all the guests and thanked the city of East Orange for its support and cooperation with the EOCC and its members.

East Orange Chamber board member Russell Burt came back after sickness and started working on the Chamber’s website. He is doing a great job in updating the website regularly. He urged chamber members to provide their business information so that he could place the description of the members’ businesses on the website.

On September 17, 2011 East Orange General Hospital held its annual health fair at the Medical Arts Building Parking Lot in East Orange. This year, they had different booths, but gave more importance to free examinations. The goal of the minority and multicultural family health fair is to have preventive care for the community. East Orange General Hospital has organized this fair as part of its ongoing effort to inform, educate and empower the community to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviors. 

They have free screenings at the fair for blood pressure, cholesterol, vision, diabetes, podiatry, and prostate. The mobile testing station is sponsored by Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Foundation of New York. They have three mobile stations, which they travel all over the country. They do free eye testing, especially for glaucoma.

In this day and age, everyone is watching their diet. This time, it is very important to teach the food pyramid to the young ones. The importance and tips for low sodium intake and how to eat right was the highlight at the table. There are 20 ways to enjoy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy by American Dietetic Association. Here they are for our readers’ review: