Events in New Jersey for Jan. 12-18

Abstract: A guide to cultural and recreational events in New Jersey. Items for the calendar should be sent at least three weeks in advance to njtowns@nytimes.com. Comedy HASBROUCK HEIGHTS Bananas Comedy Club Robert Kelly. Jan. 17 at 9 p.m.; Jan. 18 at 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. $25. Bananas Comedy Club, 283 Route 17 South. (201) 727-1090; bananascomedyclub.com. MORRISTOWN Mayo Performing Arts Center Manhattan Comedy Night. Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. $25. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street. (973) 539-8008; mayoarts.org. Film JERSEY CITY Liberty Science Center “Penguins 3D,” Imax. Through Jan. 31. $5.50 to $11.25. Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Boulevard. (201) 200-1000; lsc.org. For Children ENGLEWOOD Bergen Performing Arts Center Kidz Cabaret Series: Bill Blagg, illusionist. Jan. 18 at 1 and 3 p.m. $17. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. (201) 227-1030; bergenpac.org. MORRISTOWN Haggerty Education Center, Frelinghuysen Arboretum “Garden Sprouts,” preschool nature program. Mondays, through March 31. $7. Haggerty Education Center, Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 East Hanover Avenue. arboretumfriends.org/events; (973) 326-7600. MORRISTOWN Mayo Performing Arts Center “Fancy Nancy: The Musical,” based on a book series by Jane O’Connor. Jan. 12 at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m. $12 to $15. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street. (973) 539-8008; mayoarts.org. NEW BRUNSWICK State Theater Milk and Cookies Series: Big Jeff and the Bouncy People, family band. Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. and noon. Free. State Theater, 15 Livingston Avenue. statetheatrenj.org; (732) 246-7469. NEWARK New Jersey Performing Arts Center Embodying the Dream: A Celebration of the Life and Message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a community event for children and their families, with performing-arts workshops. Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. Free. New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street. njpac.org; (888) 466-5722. NEWARK Prudential Center “Disney on Ice — 100 Years of Magic.” Jan. 15 through 20. $23 to $83. Prudential Center, 165 Mulberry Street. prucenter.com; (973) 757-6000. PRINCETON Terhune Orchards Terhune Orchards Read and Explore Program. Read “The Gingerbread Man” and decorate a gingerbread man cookie to take home. Jan. 14 through 18. $7. Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road. (609) 924-2310; terhuneorchards.com. RAHWAY Union County Performing Arts Center Sensory Friendly Theater, the Little Orchestra Society’s “Things That Go Bang.” Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. $8. Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street. (732) 499-8226; ucpac.org. Music and Dance ENGLEWOOD Bergen Performing Arts Center Kelli Rabke Agresta, cabaret. Jan. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. $39. Michael Schenker, rock, with Gundriver and Ethan Brosh. Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. $25 and $35. Rusted Root, instrumental group, and Donna the Buffalo, rock-folk. Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. $30. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. (201) 227-1030; bergenpac.org. HACKETTSTOWN Centenary Stage Company Tizer Jazz Quartet, featuring Karen Briggs, jazz violinist. Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. $15 and $22.50. Centenary Stage Company, Lackland Center, 715 Grand Avenue. (908) 979-0900; centenarystageco.org. LIVINGSTON Livingston High School “Musical Journey Around the World,” the Livingston Symphony Orchestra presents a family concert. Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. $10 and $20; free for children under 12. Livingston High School, 30 Robert Harp Drive. (973) 980-1809 ; lsonj.org . MAHWAH Sharp Theater Pam Tillis, country singer-songwriter. Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. $25 to $42. Sharp Theater, 505 Ramapo Valley Road. ramapo.edu/berriecenter; (201) 684-7844. MONTCLAIR Alexander Kasser Theater “Aubade,” Douglas Dunn and Dancers. Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.; Jan. 26 at 3 p.m.; Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. $20. Alexander Kasser Theater, 1 Normal Avenue. (973) 655-5112; peakperfs.org. MONTCLAIR Outpost in the Burbs Larry Campbell and the Teresa Williams Trio, with Frank Lombardi. Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. $25 and $28. Outpost in the Burbs, 67 Church Street. outpostintheburbs.org; (973) 744-6560. MONTCLAIR Trumpets Jazz Club and Restaurant Diane Moser’s Composers Big Band 17th Anniversary Concert, new music for big band. Jan. 22, 8 to 11 p.m. $15. Trumpets Jazz Club and Restaurant, 6 Depot Square. (973) 744-2600; trumpetsjazz.com. MONTCLAIR Unitarian Universalist Congregation “Fifth Annual Concert for Haiti,” fund-raiser and concert featuring Emeline Michel, Haitian singer, to benefit Lamp for Haiti, Edeyo Foundation and Haitian Education Program. Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. $20. Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 67 Church Street. (201) 819-9076 . MORRISTOWN Mayo Performing Arts Center New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde,” led by Jacques Lacombe. Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. $20 to $90. Tickets: (973) 624-3713; njsymphony.org. Starlight on Stage: Lieder of Richard Strauss, Schumann and more. Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. $40. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street. (973) 539-8008; mayoarts.org. MORRISTOWN The Minstrel, Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Open Stage at the Minstrel, featuring acoustic musicians. Jan. 17, 8 to 11 p.m. Jean Rohe and her band. Jan. 24, 8 to 11 p.m. $8; 12 and under, free. The Minstrel, Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road. (973) 335-9489; folkproject.org. NEW BRUNSWICK State Theater New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Seventh and Eighth Symphonies, led by Jacques Lacombe. Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. For tickets: njsymphony.org; (973) 624-3713. $20 to $80. Gipsy Kings, Latin rhythms. Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. $37.50 to $87.50. Moe., jam band. Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. $30 and $35. State Theater, 15 Livingston Avenue. (732) 246-7469; statetheatrenj.org. NEWARK Prudential Center Jay-Z, hip-hop artist, the “Magna Carter Holy Grail Tour.” Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. $32.50 to $175. Prudential Center, 165 Mulberry Street. (973) 757-6000; prucenter.com. NEWARK Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center Dance Theater of Harlem. Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. $27 to $79. New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde,” led by Jacques Lacombe. Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. $20 to $85. For tickets: (973) 624-3713; njsymphony.org. Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street. njpac.org; (888) 466-5722. PATERSON Ivanhoe Wheelhouse Bob Lukomski, composer, performs his post-classical Delicate Arch electronic suite. Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Ivanhoe Wheelhouse, 4 Spruce Street. (201) 666-1881 ; musixplore.org . PRINCETON McCarter Theater Center Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. $20 to $62. McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place. mccarter.org; (609) 258-2787. PRINCETON Richardson Auditorium New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde,” led by Jacques Lacombe. Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. $20 to $90. For tickets: (973) 624-3713; njsymphony.org. Richardson Auditorium, in Alexander Hall on the Princeton University campus. Princeton Symphony Orchestra Classical Series Concert La Noche Española featuring the East Coast premiere of Óscar Navarro’s II Concerto for Clarinet and Symphonic Orchestra, performed by Jose Franch-Ballester, accompanied by the orchestra. Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. $25 to $75. Richardson Auditorium, in Alexander Hall on the Princeton University campus. (609) 497-0020; princetonsymphony.org. RAHWAY Union County Performing Arts Center Jah Jah Yute, roots rock reggae. Jan. 24 and 25. $35. Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street. ucpac.org; (732) 499-8226. RED BANK Count Basie Theater The Ultimate Elvis Birthday Bash, tribute show. Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. $20 to $40. Count Basie Theater, 99 Monmouth Street. (732) 842-9000; countbasietheatre.org. SOUTH ORANGE South Orange Performing Arts Center Jazz in the Loft: Greg Bufford, jazz. Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. $15. Greg Brown and Steve Forbert, singer-songwriters. Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. $30 to $50. True Blues, with Corey Harris, Guy Davis and Alvin Youngblood Hart. Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. $20 to $38. Juilliard @ SOPAC: Quartet Senza Misura, classical. Jan. 26 at 3 p.m. $15 to $20. Blues in the Loft: Lil’ Bastad. Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. $15. South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 Sopac Way. (973) 313-2787; sopacnow.org. Spoken Word HIGHLAND PARK Highland Park Public Library “American Dictators: Frank Hague, Nucky Johnson and the Perfection of the Urban Political Machine,” an author talk and book signing with Steve Hart. Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Free. Highland Park Public Library, 31 North Fifth Avenue. (732) 572-2750; hpplnj.org. RED BANK Count Basie Theater Conversations live from the 92nd Street Y: Jane Pauley with Tom Brokaw, “Your Life Calling.” Jan. 14 at 8:15 p.m. $8. Reinventing Radio: An Evening With Ira Glass, creator of the public radio show “This American Life.” Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. $25 to $65. Count Basie Theater, 99 Monmouth Street. (732) 842-9000; countbasietheatre.org. Seasonal MORRISTOWN Macculloch Hall Historical Museum “Not a Creature Was Stirring: Christmas Animals, Toys and Thomas Nast,” exhibition featuring several of the museum’s holiday-themed Thomas Nast images, as well as toys and ornaments from a century ago. Through Jan. 30. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue. (973) 538-2404; maccullochhall.org. Image NEWARK Ashley Murphy of the Dance Theater of Harlem, which is performing at Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, on Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $27 to $79. Information: njpac.org ; (888) 466-5722. Credit Matthew Murphy for The New York Times Outdoors BERNARDSVILLE Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary Weekly Bird Walk, looking at birds, trees, tracks, wildflowers, reptiles and amphibians. Through Jan. 31. Free. Scherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, 11 Hardscrabble Road. (908) 204-8998. Theater CAMDEN South Camden Theater Company, Waterfront South Theater “Express Tracks,” new play by Joseph M. Paprzyck. Through Jan. 26. $20. South Camden Theater Company, Waterfront South Theater, 400 Jasper Street. (856) 409-0365; Tickets: southcamdentheatre.org; (866) 811-4111. HAMMONTON Eagle Theater “Footloose,” a musical with music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford and book by Mr. Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Jan. 17 through Feb. 2. $30 and $40. Eagle Theater, 208 Vine Street. (609) 704-5012; theeagletheatre.com. LONG BRANCH New Jersey Repertory Company, Lumia Theater “Admit One,” new comedy by Wendy Yondorf. Jan. 16 through Feb. 16. $25 to $40. New Jersey Repertory Company, Lumia Theater, 179 Broadway. (732) 229-3166; njrep.org. MONTCLAIR Studio Playhouse “Black Coffee,” a play by Agatha Christie. Through Jan. 25. $17 and $20. Studio Playhouse, 14 Alvin Place. studioplayhouse.org; (973) 744-9752. MORRISTOWN Mayo Performing Arts Center “Million Dollar Quartet,” musical with book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Jan. 17 at 8 p.m.; Jan. 18 at 3 and 8 p.m. $39 to $69. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street. (973) 539-8008; mayoarts.org. NEWARK Newark Symphony Hall “Supernatural: The Play with Kim Coles,” a natural-hair drama in which seven women face their hair and themselves. Jan. 17 through Jan. 20. $35. Newark Symphony Hall, 1020 Broad Street. (973) 643-8014; supernaturalproject.org. PRINCETON McCarter Theater Center “Fences,” drama by August Wilson. Through Feb. 9. $20 to $82.50. McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place. (609) 258-2787; mccarter.org. RAHWAY Hamilton Stage “Assassins: A Musical,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, the Bullet Theater Company. Jan. 17 through 26. $10 and $15. Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton Street. (732) 499-8226; ucpac.org. RED BANK Two River Theater “As You Like It,” by Shakespeare. Jan. 25 through Feb. 16. $20 to $50. Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue. (732) 345-1400; trtc.org. SOUTH ORANGE Baird Theater “The Importance of Being Earnest,” a comedy by Oscar Wilde, presented by interACT Theater Productions. Jan. 17 through 26. $12 and $15. Baird Theater, 5 Mead Street. interactproductions.org ; (973) 544-8489 . TRENTON Passage Theater One-Minute Play Festival, 60 new plays. Jan. 18 and 19. $15. Passage Theater, 205 East Front Street. (609) 392-0766; passagetheatre.org. WEST ORANGE Luna Stage “Enchanted Arms: An Evening of New Plays,” the StrangeDog Theater Company. Through Jan. 25. $10 and $25. Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road. (973) 395-5551; lunastage.org. Museums and Galleries BOUND BROOK Hamilton Street Gallery An exhibition of fused glass dichroic glass works and copper sculptures by Ellen Rebarber and paintings by Bill Giacalone. Jan. 12 through Feb. 13. Reception: Jan. 12, 2 to 6 p.m. Thursdays, noon to 5 p.m., Fridays, 5 to 8 p.m.; Saturdays 1 to 5 p.m. Hamilton Street Gallery, 6 Hamilton Street. (732) 748-2092; hamiltonstreetgallery.com. CAMDEN Fine Arts Complex, Rutgers — Camden campus “Compulsive Narratives: Stories That Must Be Told,” celebrating the graphic novel. Jan. 16 through April 26. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Rutgers-Camden campus, Fine Arts Complex, Third Street between Cooper Street and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. (856) 225-6245; rcca.camden.rutgers.edu. CHATHAM TOWNSHIP Lundt-Glover Gallery “Bold Impressions,” monoprints and paintings on paper by Andrea Epstein. Through March 11. Lundt-Glover Gallery, 58 Meyersville Road. (201) 532-5637. CLINTON Hunterdon Art Museum “Judith and Tom Neugebauer: Jewelry and Ceramics.” Through Jan. 14. Donation: $5. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center Street. (908) 735-8415; hunterdonartmuseum.org. GALLOWAY Stockton College Art Gallery “Kadir Nelson, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” original illustrations for his book of the same name in the lower gallery. Jan. 21 through March 5. Kevin Miyazaki and Jon Yamashiro Photography Exhibition, on Japanese internment camps, in the upper gallery. Jan. 21 through March 23. Free. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Stockton College Art Gallery, 101 Vera King Farris Drive. (609) 652-4214; stockton.edu/artgallery. HALEDON American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark “Outsourced!” mixed-technique-on-paper images by Robin Holder about the conditions of workers producing consumer goods. Through April 26. $3 to $5 suggested donation; members and children under 12, free. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment. American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark, 83 Norwood Street. labormuseum.org; (973) 595-7953. HOBOKEN Hoboken Historical Museum “Slices of Beauty on the Hudson, Cut-Paper Works by Hiro Takeshita.” Through Jan. 19. $2; members, free. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 2 to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson Street. (201) 656-2240; hobokenmuseum.org. HOPEWELL Gallery 14 Fine Art Photography, group show. Through Feb. 2. Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Gallery 14, 14 Mercer Street. (609) 333-8511; photogallery14.com. JERSEY CITY Liberty Science Center “Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.” Through March 2. $15.75; children 2 to 13 and adults over 62, $11.50; children under 2, free. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Boulevard. (201) 200-1000; lsc.org. JERSEY CITY Mana Contemporary “Carole Feuerman: The Golden Mean,” hyper-realist sculpture. Through March 29. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Avenue. (201) 484-1495, ext. 672; manafinearts.com. MADISON Museum of Early Trades and Crafts “Ghosts, Ghouls and Gravestones: The Trades of Burial,” examining the progression of the burial trade. Through Feb. 1. $3 and $5; members and children under 6, free. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, 9 Main Street. (973) 377-2982; metc.org. MAHWAH Mahwah Museum “Neighborhoods of Mahwah,” history and cultural traditions. Through June 29. $3 to $5; members and children under 5, free. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Mahwah Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike. mahwahmuseum.org; (201) 512-0099. MONTCLAIR Montclair Art Museum “New Directions/Jean Shin: Host,” outdoor sculpture. Through Jan. 15. “Looking Forward: Gifts of Contemporary Art From the Patricia A. Bell Collection,” works donated in the past 10 years. Through Jan. 15. $10 and $12; members and children under 12, free. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Avenue. (973) 746-5555; montclairartmuseum.org. MORRIS TOWNSHIP Morris Museum “When Sandy Hit: The Storm That Forever Changed New Jersey,” images taken by photographers at The Star-Ledger. Through Jan. 20. “The Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya,” Lego sculptures. Through March 9. $7 to $10. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road. (973) 971-3700; morrismuseum.org. MORRISTOWN Macculloch Hall Historical Museum “Thomas Nast Brings Down Boss Tweed,” political cartoons. Through Aug. 3. $6 to $8; children 6 to 12, $4; children under 5, free. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue. maccullochhall.org; (973) 538-2404. NEW BRUNSWICK Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum “Maples in the Mist: Chinese Poems for Children, Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng.” Through June 22. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. “Stars: Contemporary Prints by Derrière L’Étoile Studio (Part Two).” Through March 2. General hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street. zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu; (848) 932-7237. NEWARK The Newark Museum “Seeing Beyond the Moment: The Photographic Legacy and Gifts of George Tice.” Through Feb. 2. “Ming to Modern: Elevating the Everyday in Chinese Art.” Through Feb. 2. $2 to $10. “Papyraceous: Recent Acquisitions, Contemporary Works on Paper,” an exhibition of printmaking, collaging, drawing and painting. Through June 29. $2 to $10. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street. newarkmuseum.org; (973) 596-6550. PRINCETON Bernstein Gallery “Cinder,” mixed-media artwork by Susanne Slavic. Through Feb. 13. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bernstein Gallery, Robertson Hall. (609) 258-8880; wws.princeton.edu/bernstein. PRINCETON Morven Museum and Garden “The Age of Sail: A New Jersey Collection.” Exploring the history of American shipbuilding, sail-making, naval warfare, shipwrecks and rescue, with more than 100 objects. Through March 23. $5 and $6. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Morven Museum and Garden, 55 Stockton Street. (609) 924-8144; morven.org. PRINCETON Paul Robeson Center for the Arts “Concentric Circles of Influence: The Queenston Press, Contemporary Works.” Jan. 18 through March 8. Reception: Jan. 18, 3 to 6 p.m. Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street. artscouncilofprinceton.org; (609) 924-8777. PRINCETON Princeton University Art Museum “The Itinerant Languages of Photography.” Through Jan. 19. Billboard installation by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Cuban-born American artist. Through Jan. 20. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton University campus. artmuseum.princeton.edu; (609) 258-3788. SHREWSBURY Guild of Creative Art “All Members’ Edgy Show,” multimedia exhibition. Through Jan. 29. Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guild of Creative Art, 620 Broad Street. guildofcreativeart.org; (732) 741-1441. TRENTON Artworks Trenton “Transitions,” an exhibition of two- and three-dimensional works by Colleen Gahrmann. Through Feb. 15. Artworks Trenton, 19 Everett Alley. (609) 394-9436; artworkstrenton.org. TRENTON New Jersey State Museum New Jersey Artist Series. “Dahlia Elsayed: Hither and Yon,” paintings and installations. Through Feb. 2. Suggested admission, $5. “Where in the World Is New Jersey? Historical Maps of the Garden State.” Through Feb. 23. Suggested admission, $5. Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street. (609) 292-6464. statemuseum.nj.gov. UNION TOWNSHIP The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery at Kean University “Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art.” Through Feb. 6. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery at Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue. (908) 737-0392; kean.edu/gallery.


Chicago’s Odd Couple: Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a Billionaire Republican Investor

Abstract: At a news conference this week, Jesús G. Garcia, who is trying to unseat Rahm Emanuel as mayor of Chicago, accused the incumbent of allowing the city’s rich to “pay to play.” Then Mr. Garcia got personal. Standing in front of the offices of the $26 billion investment firm Citadel, the challenger accused the firm’s billionaire owner, Kenneth C. Griffin, of benefiting from a relationship with the mayor. Mr. Emanuel’s single biggest donor, Mr. Griffin, 46, has given more than $1 million to political organizations that support the mayor. The bulk of that money — $950,000 — was donated in recent weeks after Mr. Emanuel failed to win majority support for a second term at the end of February. Backing Mr. Emanuel, a former Democratic congressman and President Obama’s first White House chief of staff, may seem an unusual choice for Mr. Griffin. A self-made billionaire who started trading convertible bonds from his dormitory room at Harvard, Mr. Griffin does not like big government. He thinks taxes are too high and corporate regulation is too burdensome. While he has rarely commented on his political donations, in 2012 Mr. Griffin said he considered himself a “Reagan Republican” and that he thought the rich have “insufficient influence” on the political process. His own influence has been felt in Illinois. “We need changes in Springfield,” he told an audience of hedge fund managers in Manhattan last year. That change, he said, could be brought about by Bruce Rauner, the Republican candidate in 2014 for governor of Illinois. Mr. Griffin spent more than $13 million supporting Mr. Rauner’s successful campaign. Opponents of Mr. Emanuel point to these donations as an example of how Wall Street reaches into its deep pockets to ensure it has a say in policies. And as the mayor heads into a runoff election on Tuesday, the first since the city began nonpartisan elections, his top donors have come to underscore a reputation for being, in the words of one critic, “Mayor One Percent.” Mr. Griffin certainly epitomizes that 1 percent. He is worth $6.5 billion, Forbes magazine estimates. A generous donor to the arts, Mr. Griffin was recently featured in the local press for a $10 million gift to the Museum of Contemporary Art. He spends millions on art for himself, too. In February, he bought a 10-foot-tall Gerhard Richter painting for $46.4 million at a Sotheby’s auction. Last year, Mr. Griffin gave $150 million to Harvard College for its financial aid program. That is the largest single amount donated to the university. His real estate purchases make the news as well. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Mr. Griffin spent $30 million on two apartments in the Waldorf Astoria Chicago last year. He has also become a regular feature in the gossip columns as an acrimonious battle over billions of dollars has played out between him and his wife, Anne Dias Griffin, from whom he filed for divorce last summer. Mr. Griffin began trading in 1987, his sophomore year, with $265,000 from family and friends. When he set up Citadel in 1990, he was making exotic and complicated trades like Japanese equity warrants and placing bets on mergers and acquisitions. Citadel has grown from a small hedge fund into an investment firm giant, managing some $26 billion and employing 1,400 worldwide, 740 of them in Chicago. Image Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Mr. Emanuel’s single biggest donor, Mr. Griffin has given more than $1 million to political organizations that support the mayor. Credit Andrew Nelles for The New York Times The current financial and political titans of Chicago have known each other since Mr. Emanuel was at the investment bank Wasserstein Perella, where he worked for three years after leaving the Clinton White House. The two do not always see eye to eye, however. While supporting the mayor, Mr. Griffin warned in 2013 that the country was at “the knife’s edge of a government that is too big.” And when Mr. Emanuel shut down 50 public schools in Chicago, polarizing some voters who said the move unfairly targeted low-income communities, Mr. Griffin argued that the mayor should have gone further. “The number should’ve been 125,” he said. But when it comes to taxes, Mr. Emanuel and Mr. Griffin share similar views. In a recent television advertisement paid for by Chicago Forward, one of the political organizations that Mr. Griffin has given money to, a retired Chicago police sergeant criticizes Mr. Garcia, known as “Chuy,” for being too quick to raise taxes. “When I see Chuy Garcia, I say, hold on to your wallets, this guy wants more taxes,” the advertisement said. “We just can’t afford that.” In a statement, Mr. Griffin said: “Many of us at Citadel are actively involved in supporting candidates, nonprofits and civic groups that make our city and state a better place to live. More jobs. Less crime. Better schools. That’s what we all want for our community and our families.” At Citadel’s Chicago headquarters, Mr. Griffin has compelled those who work for him to be engaged in the community. The firm holds regular town hall meetings, where politicians, economists and the occasional chef (Grant Achatz) are invited to give talks with employees. When he was a presidential candidate in 2007, President Barack Obama attended one such town hall meeting. Mr. Emanuel spoke at another town hall meeting in September 2013. Citadel employees have followed Mr. Griffin in making significant political donations to the mayor’s campaign. Since 2010, employees have given $173,000 to Chicago for Rahm Emanuel, a political organization. Some employees have established closer ties with Mr. Emanuel: Daniel Widawsky, a former tax lawyer at Citadel, was appointed Chicago’s comptroller in 2013 by Mr. Emanuel. Image Jesús G. Garcia, facing Mr. Emanuel in the runoff for mayor, accuses him of allowing Chicago’s rich to “pay to play” and says that Mr. Griffin benefits from a relationship with him. Credit Andrew Nelles for The New York Times Mr. Griffin has also galvanized leaders of Chicago’s business community to get involved in politics. At a 2013 dinner held by Chicago’s Economic Club, he called upon the audience to pick up their pens and phones and reach out to local and state officials. “You see, we have a powerful voice, a voice that can play an important role in fixing our schools, in protecting and providing for our retirees, and in creating good jobs, a voice that can’t wait until the next election cycle, a voice that must be heard now,” Mr. Griffin said. In Chicago, where the rough and tumble of Democratic ward politics is woven into the city’s DNA, Mr. Emanuel’s positioning as a middle-of-the-road Democrat contrasts with more left-leaning mayoral candidates like Mr. Garcia. Many in the business community have praised Mr. Emanuel and say he is a networker whose connections in Washington have helped bring funds to Chicago when money is tight. The mayor has received plaudits for improving the public transport system, increasing the minimum wage and encouraging companies to stay in Chicago. Supporters of Mr. Garcia argue that the views on small government and less taxes espoused by Mr. Griffin go too far. “It’s a Darwinian approach, and it’s limited the scope of government,” said David S. Schaffer, the largest individual donor to Mr. Garcia’s campaign and a longtime adviser to Mr. Garcia. “It’s a return to the days of the robber barons,” he added. On Tuesday, as Mr. Garcia spoke to a crowd of political supporters and reporters, Potbelly sandwiches were distributed. When asked, the servers said the sandwiches were “compliments of Ken Griffin.”

Chicago
Rahm Emanuel
Kenneth C Griffin
Jesus Garcia
Campaign finance
Mayoral races
HNWI,Wealth,Billionaires,1 Percent


U.N.L.V. Hires Ex-Player as Coach

Abstract: Nevada-Las Vegas hired Dave Rice, the Brigham Young associate coach, as its head coach Sunday, picking him to return to the university where he was a player and an assistant under four head coaches for 11 seasons. The move, pending the approval of the Nevada Board of Regents, came after Lon Kruger left U.N.L.V. to coach Oklahoma.

Coaches and Managers
Rice Dave
Kruger Lon
Basketball (College)
University of Nevada Las Vegas


Burial Insurance, at $2 Per Week, Survives Skeptics

Abstract: JACKSON, Miss. — Vickie T. White, who grew up in a small Mississippi town, remembers her parents’ leaving an envelope out each week for the burial insurance man. So when her granddaughter was born, it seemed natural to buy a policy for her. “It’s something everyone should think of,” Ms. White said. “But I wouldn’t in a million years have imagined that I’d have to be using it two weeks before she turned 2.” After a head-on collision in February left her daughter maimed and her granddaughter dead, Ms. White, a 47-year-old office worker for the City of Jackson, could afford to pick out a little white and gold coffin. “Without that policy, I don’t know what I would have done,” she said. “You just don’t want to put your loved one away any old kind of way.” Over the decades, the burial insurance business has been marred by scams and racially discriminatory pricing. Even today experts say the policies are costlier than conventional term insurance. Many lower-income people have a different perspective. They see holding burial insurance as a point of pride, as well as security. They want a dignified funeral for themselves and their kin, and they have seen the crushing debts left by funerals that may cost well over $5,000. Ms. White had her granddaughter’s coffin sealed in a vault. “That may seem unusual for a baby,” she said, “but that was the last thing I ever could do for her, you know.” The burial insurance industry is tapping into a long tradition and deep feelings about last rites among many low-income Americans and especially among blacks, who started cooperative societies even in slavery to promise decent burials. Many of the buyers feel they cannot afford large life insurance policies but see small policies intended to cover funerals, costing as little as $2 a week, as a priority. “If I say I want to sell you life insurance, they say no,” said Howard D. Catchings, who started selling small burial policies to blue-collar workers here in the late 1960s and became one of Jackson’s most prominent and prosperous black businessmen. “If I say burial insurance, they say yes.” Mr. Catchings, 67, said his agency sold up to 15,000 such policies a year — they are simply small life insurance policies worth an average of $5,000 — by sending 15 agents to school systems, public agencies and companies to meet the janitors, bus drivers and secretaries. When he started, he said, all the customers were black, but he now sells to a rising share of white clients. Insurance associations said they did not have figures on the number of policies bought to cover burial expenses, in part because most are listed as life insurance. A number of smaller companies still focus on the black neighborhoods of major cities, offering $5,000 or $10,000 policies intended for funeral costs. Some agents go to homes to collect monthly premiums in cash. Insurers and funeral homes also offer plans explicitly tied to funeral costs. On a sales visit to the Hinds County maintenance yards outside Jackson, Wye Hurd, an agent of the Catchings Insurance Agency, hardly had to make a pitch. In an elegant maroon dress, joking with potential clients, Ms. Hurd, 43, brought a spark of color to the manager’s office. The customers were mainly black men in blue work clothes, their first names embroidered on chest patches, who earn perhaps $10 to $15 an hour. A dozen streamed in to buy modest policies for themselves, their spouses and children, and sometimes their grandchildren. “Your premiums never change, nor does your coverage change; your benefits go into effect today, and there’s no waiting period,” Ms. Hurd told Bobby Jenkins, a 36-year-old repairman who is unmarried but has a 9-year-old son. “For $3 a week you’ll be covered for $6,000.” Mr. Jenkins quickly signed up and authorized a second $3 weekly payroll deduction to buy a separate policy for his son, worth $18,000 because payments are starting early in life. “My grandfather and parents always had burial policies on me,” Mr. Jenkins said. “Now it’s time I should do this.” Gerald D. Jaynes, professor of economics and African-American studies at Yale, said that from the 19th century, blacks joined mutual aid societies to save for burials. Many black-owned insurance companies, including the largest one, North Carolina Mutual, started out by selling burial policies when major companies excluded black customers or set discriminatory rates. For religious and social reasons, blacks fiercely want to have a respectable funeral, Mr. Jaynes said, and preachers often refer to burial as a homecoming. “People know their relatives are going to try and put on the best possible funeral for them,” he said. Those without money or insurance often “pass the hat” at church or even make pleas on the radio for donations, and also end up negotiating with funeral homes for loans. “It can be very humiliating for the family,” said Audrey Wiley, an owner of the Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home in Jackson, who also sells insurance. “Many of the families we come into contact with want to do better, but they just can’t afford it.” A typical funeral with a sealed metal coffin costs about $6,200, Ms. Wiley said. For less, a nonsealing coffin may be used and families may do without limousines to the cemetery, for example. Cremation, not a tradition among blacks, is also a cheaper option. At the lower end, some who arrive with decades-old $600 burial policies are just wrapped in canvas, Ms. Audrey said, something that happens at her funeral home several times a year. Indigents with no relatives are buried by the county in a pauper’s field — to many, a terrifying fate. J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America in Washington, said that some companies had pressured unsophisticated consumers to buy burial policies and that healthy individuals could get far more insurance for the same fees if they bought, say, 20- or 30-year term policies. Term policies, however, may end before death, the main thing on the minds of these customers. Burial policies can continue for life, and sellers offer policies that seem convenient and easy to understand. For one thing, small policies are offered without a medical examination: buyers must simply swear that that are not currently in a nursing home or ill and are not infected with H.I.V. , the virus that causes AIDS. The use of payroll deductions, which the Catchings agency does, or at-home premium collections can also be attractive. “This is a good product for people without checking accounts,” Mr. Catchings said. “The money comes out of their check before they go to the nightclubs, so they know if they die their funeral will be paid for.” “The low income people can’t afford the hundred-thousand-dollar policies — they’ve got to eat and pay the rent,” he said, “but they will buy a 2- or 3-dollar-a-week policy, and they’ll buy it on their spouses and their children.” “Everybody wants to have an upscale funeral,” he said. David King, an electrician and carpenter for Hinds County who is 25, unmarried and has no children, could get a $10,000 policy for $3 a week, “and you keep the same rate forever,” Ms. Hurd, the saleswoman, told him. “That’s not very much,” he said, signing the papers. “Might as well get it while the getting’s good.”

Insurance
Funerals
Blacks
Death and Dying


Events in New Jersey

Abstract: A guide to cultural and recreational events in New Jersey. Items for the calendar should be sent at least three weeks in advance to njtowns@nytimes.com. For Children ENGLEWOOD “Angelina Ballerina: A Very Merry Holiday Musical.” Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. $29 and $39. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. bergenpac.org; (201) 227-1030. Music and Dance BASKING RIDGE The Masterwork Chorus presents Handel’s “Messiah.” Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. $25 to $75. Ridge Performing Arts Center, 268 South Finley Avenue. (973) 408 -3978; ridgepac.com. ENGLEWOOD Rosanne Cash. Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. $30 to $55. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. (201) 227-1030; bergenpac.org. MANASQUAN “The Nutcracker,” the American Repertory Ballet. Through Dec. 15. $20 to $48. Algonquin Arts Center, 173 Main Street. (732) 528-9211; algonquinarts.com. MORRISTOWN New Jersey Ballet, “The Nutcracker,” with full orchestra. Through Dec. 24. $25 to $59. Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street. (973) 539-8008; mayoarts.org. NEW BRUNSWICK “The Nutcracker,” the American Repertory Ballet. Dec. 21 and 22. $32 to $67. State Theater, 15 Livingston Avenue. (732) 246-7469; statetheatrenj.org. NEWARK Trans-Siberian Orchestra, rock opera. Dec. 23 at 3 and 8 p.m. $33.50 to $73.50. Prudential Center, 165 Mulberry Street. (973) 757-6000; prucenter.com. NEWARK Gospel Holiday Celebration, with Mary Mary, gospel duo, and Sinbad, comedian. Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. $39.50 to $69.50. Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street. njpac.org; (888) 466-5722. RED BANK “The Nutcracker,” the Company of Dance Arts. Through Dec. 15. $20 to $40. “Sleeping Beauty Ballet,” the Rudolf Nureyev State Ballet Theater. Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. $25 to $55. Lauryn Hill, R & B. Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. $45 to $200. Count Basie Theater, 99 Monmouth Street. (732) 842-9000; countbasietheatre.org. SOUTH ORANGE Bossa Brasil, jazz group. Dec. 19, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Free. Papillon 25, 25 Valley Street. papillon25.com; (973) 761-5299. TRENTON Princeton Pro Musica, Handel’s “Messiah,” with chorus, orchestra and soloists. Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. $25 to $55. Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive. thewarmemorial.com; (609) 984-8400. Seasonal BEACH HAVEN Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” musical based on the 1954 Paramount movie. Through Dec. 22. Surflight Theater, 201 Engleside Avenue. surflight.org; (609) 492-9477. CAPE MAY “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” by Tom Mula. Through Dec. 29. $15 to $35. Cape May Stage, the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, 405 Lafayette Street. (609) 770-8311; capemaystage.com. CAPE MAY “The Santaland Diaries,” comedy by David Sedaris. Through Dec. 29. $25 to $59. Congress Hall, Harrison Room, 200 Congress Place. (609) 770-8311; capemaystage.org. CHESTER “Christmas! Sing of the Wonder,” traditional Christmas carols, new music and narration. Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. Free. The Church of the Messiah. messiahchester.org; (908) 879-7208. Image RED BANK The singer Darlene Love will perform in “A ‘Souled’ Out Christmas,” also featuring Gary U. S. Bonds and Gedeon Luke and the People, at the Count Basie Theater, 99 Monmouth Street, on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $39 to $99. Information: (732) 842-9000; countbasietheatre.org . Credit Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum ENGLEWOOD “Shore Is Christmas,” Gary U. S. Bonds, with John Eddie. Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. $30 to $50. “A Christmas Carol,” musical based on the Dickens novella. Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. $10 to $25. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. (201) 227-1030; bergenpac.org. HACKETTSTOWN “A Christmas Carol,” musical based on the Dickens novella. Through Dec. 15. $27.50 and $29.50. Centenary Stage Company, Lackland Center, 715 Grand Avenue. centenarystageco.org; (908) 979-0900. MAHWAH Holiday train display, 713 cars and locomotives. Through Dec. 20. $5. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Mahwah Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike. (201) 512-0099; mahwahmuseum.org. MIDDLETOWN “Miss Maria: Christmas Party.” Decorate and take home your own gingerbread house, sing Christmas songs and play games. Dec. 20, 6 to 9 p.m. $15 and $25. Middletown Arts Center, 36 Church Street. middletownarts.org; (732) 706-4100. MORRIS TOWNSHIP “Christmas: Broadway to Hollywood,” Morris Choral Society’s 10th annual Holiday Spectacular. Through Dec. 15. $15 to $25. Bickford Theater, 6 Normandy Heights Road. (973) 971-3706; morrismuseum.org. MORRISTOWN “Gingerbread Wonderland and Craft Show.” Through Dec. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays until 8 p.m. $2 suggested donation; $1 for students and seniors. Haggerty Education Center, Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 East Hanover Avenue. arboretumfriends.org/events; (973) 326-7600. MORRISTOWN “Not a Creature Was Stirring: Christmas Animals, Toys and Thomas Nast,” exhibition featuring several of the museum’s holiday-themed Thomas Nast images, as well as toys and ornaments from a century ago. Through Jan. 30. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue. (973) 538-2404; maccullochhall.org. NEW BRUNSWICK “Holiday Jubilee,” a multicultural music celebration. Through Dec. 15. $40. Crossroads Theater, 7 Livingston Avenue. crossroadstheatrecompany.org; (732) 545-8100. NEW BRUNSWICK “Home for the Holidays,” the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the guitarist John Pizzarelli, performing holiday standards. For tickets: (973) 624-3713; njsymphony.org. Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. $20 to $88. The Beach Boys Christmas. Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. $35 to $85. State Theater, 15 Livingston Avenue. statetheatrenj.org; (732) 246-7469. NEWARK “Feasting With Family and Friends: Christmas in the Ballantine House,” a taste of how Christmas was celebrated in late Victorian Newark. Through Jan. 5. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street. newarkmuseum.org; (973) 596-6550. PRINCETON “A Christmas Carol,” musical based on the Dickens novella; adapted by David Thompson. Through Dec. 29. $20 to $85.50. McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place. (609) 258-2787; mccarter.org. RED BANK “A ‘Souled’ Out Christmas,” featuring Gary U. S. Bonds, Gedeon Luke and the People, hosted by the singer Darlene Love. Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. $39 to $99. Count Basie Theater, 99 Monmouth Street. countbasietheatre.org; (732) 842-9000. RED BANK “A Wind in the Willows Christmas,” with music by Mike Reid, lyrics by Sarah Schlesinger and book by Mindi Dickstein; based on the novel by Kenneth Grahame. Through Dec. 29. $20 to $55. Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue. (732) 345-1400; trtc.org. SHREWSBURY “Holiday and Miniature Shows With Gift Tables,” a multimedia exhibit of artwork and crafts by all levels of guild membership. Through Jan. 2. Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guild of Creative Art, 620 Broad Street. (732) 741-1441; guildofcreativeart.org. SOUTH ORANGE Glenn Miller Orchestra, “In the Christmas Mood.” Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. $25 to $45. South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 Sopac Way. sopacnow.org; (973) 313-2787. WAYNE “Snow White’s Christmas,” a modernized adaptation of the classic fairy tale. Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. $14 and $17. Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road. (973) 720-2371; wplive.org. Image ENGLEWOOD “Outerscope II” is part of an exhibition of paintings by Gregg Emery at the One River Gallery, 49 North Dean Street, on display through Dec. 24. Information: (201) 266-5244; onerivergallery.com . Credit Gregg Emery Theater MADISON “Pericles,” by Shakespeare. Through Dec. 29. $30 to $70. F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theater, Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue. shakespearenj.org; (973) 408-5600. MANASQUAN “Wind in the Willows,” starring the Algonquin Youth Ensemble. Dec. 20 and 21. $15 and $20. Algonquin Arts Center, 173 Main Street. (732) 528-9211; algonquinarts.com. MILLBURN “Oliver!” — musical adapted from the Dickens novel. Through Dec. 29. $35 to $110. Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive. (973) 376-4343; papermill.org. NEW BRUNSWICK “Clever Little Lies,” by Joe DiPietro. Through Dec. 22. $28 to $67. George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Avenue. (732) 246-7717; gsponline.org. RAHWAY “Spilling Stuff and Breaking Things,” comedy by Ben Clawson. Through Dec. 20. $10 to $25. Hamilton Stage, 360 Hamilton Street. (732) 499-8226; ucpac.org. WAYNE “The Alice of Ward 13,” drama by Jonathan G Galvez. Through Dec. 22. $10 to $18. Hunziker Black Box Theater, 300 Pompton Road. wpunj.edu/wplive/hunziker.htm; (973) 720-2371. WAYNE “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast. Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. $12 and $15. Shea Center for Performing Arts, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road. (973) 720-2371; wplive.org. Museums and Galleries BOUND BROOK “Adorn (The Female Figure in Folklore and Myth),” group show. Through Dec. 19. Hamilton Street Gallery, 6 Hamilton Street. hamiltonstreetgallery.com; (732) 748-2092. CHATHAM TOWNSHIP “Bold Impressions,” monoprints and paintings on paper by Andrea Epstein. Dec. 15 through March 11. Lundt-Glover Gallery, 58 Meyersville Road. (201) 532-5637. CLINTON Member exhibition. Through Jan. 5. “Santiago Cohen: Ex-Vida Project,” ex-voto style oil paintings. Through Jan. 5. “Judith and Tom Neugebauer: Jewelry and Ceramics.” Through Jan. 14. Donation: $5. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center Street. hunterdonartmuseum.org; (908) 735-8415. ENGLEWOOD “Outerscope II,” paintings by Gregg Emery. Through Dec. 24. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. One River Gallery, 49 North Dean Street. (201) 266-5244; onerivergallery.com. EWING “Video Cubano,” videos created by Cuban artists. Through Dec. 15. Tuesdays through Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 3 p.m. The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road. (609) 771-2633; tcnj.edu/artgallery. FREEHOLD “Farm: Agriculture in Monmouth County 1600-2013,” exhibition. Through Dec. 31. $2.50 and $5. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monmouth County Historical Association Museum and Library, 70 Court Street. (732) 462-1466; monmouthhistory.org. HALEDON The Centennial Commemoration of the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike, historical photos, artifacts and original contemporary art. Through Dec. 28. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment. American Labor Museum/Botto House National Landmark, 83 Norwood Street. (973) 595-7953; labormuseum.org. JERSEY CITY “Pop Culture: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.” Through Dec. 28. “Carole Feuerman: The Golden Mean,” a new collection of work from the hyperrealist sculptor. Through March 29. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Avenue. (201) 484-1495 ext. 672; manafinearts.com. LAMBERTVILLE Andy Warhol prints and photographs. Through Feb. 2. Thursdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Wessel + O’Connor Fine Art, 7 North Main Street. (917) 548-8322; wesseloconnor.com. Image CHATHAM TOWNSHIP “Broken Vessels 8” (2012), a hand-colored, mixed-media monoprint by Andrea Epstein, is in “Bold Impressions,” a solo exhibition at the Lundt-Glover Gallery, 58 Meyersville Road, Dec. 15 through March 11. For further information: (201) 532-5637; andreaepstein.com/bold-impressions . Credit Ed Fousty MADISON “Ghosts, Ghouls and Gravestones: The Trades of Burial,” examining the progression of the burial trade. Through Feb. 1. $3 and $5; members and children under 6, free. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, 9 Main Street. (973) 377-2982; metc.org. MAHWAH “Neighborhoods of Mahwah,” history and cultural traditions. Through June 29. $3 to $5; members and children under 5, free. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Mahwah Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike. mahwahmuseum.org; (201) 512-0099. MILLVILLE “Wheaton Glass: The Art of the Fellowship,” celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Creative Glass Center of America at the Museum of American Glass. Through Jan. 5. $7 to $10; children 5 and under, free. Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, 1501 Glasstown Road (Route 55). (856) 825-6800; wheatonarts.org. MONTCLAIR “Robert Barry: One Billion Colored Dots,” conceptual art. Through Dec. 15. “New Directions/Jean Shin: Host,” outdoor sculpture. Through Jan. 15. “Looking Forward: Gifts of Contemporary Art From the Patricia A. Bell Collection,” works donated in the past 10 years. Through Jan. 15. $10 and $12; members and children under 12, free. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Avenue. (973) 746-5555; montclairartmuseum.org. MONTCLAIR “Triumph of Philippine Art,” Filipinos’ and Filipino-Americans’ artwork. Through Dec. 15. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue. montclair.edu/segalgallery; (973) 655-3382. MORRIS TOWNSHIP “Wet and Wild: Contemporary Art Quilts From the Collection of John M. Walsh III.” Dec. 8. “When Sandy Hit: The Storm That Forever Changed New Jersey,” images taken by Star-Ledger photographers. Through Jan. 20. “The Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya,” Lego sculptures. Through March 9. $7 to $10. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road. (973) 971-3700; morrismuseum.org. MORRISTOWN “Thomas Nast Brings Down Boss Tweed,” political cartoons. Through Aug. 3. $6 to $8; children 6 to 12, $4; children under 5, free. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue. (973) 538-2404; maccullochhall.org. NEW BRUNSWICK “Leonid Sokov: Ironic Objects.” Through Dec. 31. “Maples in the Mist: Chinese Poems for Children Illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng.” Through June 22. Hours for “Maples in the Mist”: Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. “Stars: Contemporary Prints by Derrière L’Étoile Studio (Part Two).” Through March 2. General hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, 71 Hamilton Street. zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu; (848) 932-7237. NEWARK “Seeing Beyond the Moment: The Photographic Legacy and Gifts of George Tice.” Through Feb. 2. “Ming to Modern: Elevating the Everyday in Chinese Art.” Through Feb. 2. $2 to $10. Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street. newarkmuseum.org; (973) 596-6550. OCEANVILLE “Victor Grasso: Fable,” oil paintings inspired by the mythic folklore and characters of civilizations past. Through Jan. 5. $4 and $5. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays, until 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Noyes Museum of Art, 733 Lily Lake Road. (609) 652-8848; noyesmuseum.org. PRINCETON “Justice: Faces of the Human Rights Revolution,” photographic portraits. Through Dec. 29. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bernstein Gallery, Robertson Hall. wws.princeton.edu/Bernstein; (609) 258-8880. PRINCETON “The Age of Sail: A New Jersey Collection.” Exploring the history of American shipbuilding, sail-making, naval warfare, shipwrecks and rescue, with more than 100 objects. Through March 23. $5 and $6. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Morven Museum and Garden, 55 Stockton Street. (609) 924-8144; morven.org. PRINCETON “Just Jazz: A Tribute,” featuring photo portraits of WPRB Jazz D.J.’s. Through Dec. 21. Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street. (609) 924-8777; artscouncilofprinceton.org. PRINCETON “The Itinerant Languages of Photography.” Through Jan. 19. “New Jersey as Non-Site,” group show. Through Jan. 5. Billboard installation by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Cuban-born American artist. Through Jan. 20.Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m. Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton University Campus. (609) 258-3788; artmuseum.princeton.edu. TRENTON New Jersey Artist Series, “Dahlia Elsayed: Hither and Yon,” paintings and installations. Through Feb. 2. Suggested admission, $5. “Where in the World Is New Jersey? Historical Maps of the Garden State.” Through Feb. 23. Suggested admission, $5. Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street. state.nj.us/state/museum; (609) 292-6464. TRENTON “Paper Work: Exploring the Many Ways Artists Use Paper in Their Work.” Through Jan. 5. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. The Trenton City Museum, Cadwalader Park. (609) 989-3632; ellarslie.org. UNION TOWNSHIP Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art. Through Feb. 6. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery at Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue. kean.edu/gallery; (908) 737-0392.

New Jersey
Music
Art
Theater
Museum
The arts


Long Dormant, the First Super Bowl Is Resurrected

Abstract: NFL Network will show Super Bowl I on Friday night, which should please and surprise anyone who thought copies of the game had been lost, erased or turned to video dust. In resurrected form, it is a relic of the time before Super Bowl excess: a daytime game, contested in a stadium with swaths of empty seats, televised by CBS and NBC, and played by men of reasonable dimensions, at least by today’s standards. It featured the Grambling College marching band at halftime — and a bizarre second-half kickoff that had to be rebooted because NBC was late returning to the first one from a commercial break. And it had a few Packers on the sideline happy to see Fred Williamson, the loudmouth Chiefs cornerback, laid out on the field and carried away in a stretcher. Image Chiefs Coach Hank Stram, left, and Packers Coach Vince Lombardi before Super Bowl I. Credit NFL Films But this is not an original broadcast from Jan. 15, 1967; no complete copy of either network’s production appears to exist. Instead, it is a version stitched together by NFL Films from its archive — every play of the Packers’ 35-10 victory over the Chiefs is included (as is the original radio call by Jim Simpson and George Ratterman). The huddles and other extraneous moments that NFL Films shot have been cut out. Some of the footage will be familiar to viewers from other NFL Films programs — that one-handed touchdown catch by the Packers’ Max McGee is certainly well known — but much of the original film has remained in hibernation. There simply hasn’t been a big demand to revive the game, despite the historic meeting of the A.F.L. and N.F.L. champions and the presence of Packers Coach Vince Lombardi, a symbol of N.F.L. power. “The game has been viewed historically as a one-sided affair,” said David Plaut, a senior producer at NFL Films. But the approach of Super Bowl 50 next month prompted the league to ordain that the inaugural game in the series be reconstructed. Image A cameraman with CBS, one of two networks that carried the game simultaneously. Credit NFL Films “I was surprised that we had the full game,” Plaut said. He said he thought it was unlikely that every shot had survived 49 years, especially because in the early days of NFL Films, sequences that were used in various NFL Films programming were sometimes lost forever. The network planned to announce on Monday that it has reassembled the first Super Bowl. NFL Films produced the game with five or six cameras (it will use up to 35 for Super Bowl 50) and few of the dramatic touches that would later become hallmarks of its style: a mix of riveting cinematic technique and league propaganda. Except for some slow-motion plays that were used in live action, the NFL Films’ production of Super Bowl I looks as if it could have been CBS’s broadcast. “It was primitive,” Plaut said. “It was only the second year we were called NFL Films. The coverage was crude. But when we filmed Super Bowl II, the change was exponential. We were using long lenses, more slow motion, and we doubled the size of our crew.” A videotape of the CBS broadcast exists — a broadcast that was called by Ray Scott, Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford — but is in a forced hibernation. It was discovered in 2005 by the son of the man who taped it at the TV station in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he was working. The son, whose lawyer would not divulge his name, has tried to sell it to the N.F.L., with no luck. It is not complete. It lacks the halftime show and part of the third quarter, with its critical play: the 50-yard interception return by Green Bay’s Willie Wood that led to the touchdown that extended the Packers’ lead to 21-10. “The N.F.L. isn’t all that interested in our tape,” said the lawyer, Steve Harwood. “They have threatened that if we wanted to sell or profit in any way from our tape with a third party other than the N.F.L., they would sue us, and my client is not in a position to do legal battle with the N.F.L. So we’ve said, ‘O.K., let’s try to work things out,’ and they’ve said, ‘We don’t need your tape.’ ” A request for $1 million was met by the league with a lowball response. A copy of the original reels of two-inch tape was donated to the Paley Center for Media in Manhattan, which has restored it. But it will not be available for the public to watch until the financial wrangling over the original is resolved. The league owns the broadcast’s copyright. “It really documents how games looked at that time,” said Ron Simon, curator of television and radio at the Paley Center. “It’s closer to the beginning of time.” NFL Network’s plan is to turn the 40-odd minutes of game footage into a three-hour extravaganza, surrounding it with pregame, halftime and postgame shows that will be taped Thursday, and the addition of statistics, game notes and down, distance and clock graphics. “You can’t just throw the footage up on the air and expect it to be a good viewing experience,” said Ronit Larone, a senior coordinating producer for the network. “If you watched without the enhancements you wouldn’t understand what’s going on.” A potentially interesting part of the enhancements will be the use of a group of commentators, seven at any given time, to discuss the game as it is being shown. The group will include players from the game, including Willie Davis of the Packers. “We’ll make sure we don’t ruin anything with the chatter,” Larone said. “If we have the right people together, it will be like a viewing party.”

Super Bowl
NFL Network
Packers
NFL Films
Archive
TV
Football
Kansas City Chiefs


Syrian Rebels Said to Seize Two Police Stations

Abstract: BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian rebels said they took control of at least two important police stations in central Aleppo on Tuesday, maintaining their hold on several neighborhoods despite air assaults and shelling by government troops. Nearly two weeks have passed since the fighting began for control of Aleppo, Syria ’s largest city and commercial center, and both sides seem to be digging in for an extended battle. Residents and activists said the Syrian Army was attacking from a military base on the city’s southern edge, while rebel commanders and activists said the rebels controlled eastern sections of the city as they continued to fight for neighborhoods near the center of the city and in Salaheddiin, a large neighborhood in the southwest part of Aleppo. The larger of the two police stations that rebels said they seized on Tuesday lies near the old city of Aleppo and its ancient iron gate. The second, smaller station is a few miles away, and rebels and activists described both locations as strategic because Syrian troops had been using them as bases, dividing rebel fighters in the surrounding neighborhoods. “Since the beginning of the uprising, this criminal” — a common reference among rebels for President Bashar al-Assad — “transformed these stations into military centers,” said Col. Abdul Jabbar al-Okeidi, the head of the Aleppo military council of the Free Syrian Army, the largest armed resistance group in Syria. “There are no more policemen, just security forces and thugs and snipers.” Analysts said the Syrian police had generally not been involved in Syria’s 17-month-old conflict, but police stations — as fortified government institutions inside neighborhoods — have become increasingly valuable military locations. Rebels said the Syrian Army had been using jail cells to hold captured rebel fighters, while gathering troops at the stations to stage attacks or fire from the rooftops. The stations “also represent a source of intelligence and a network for information for the regime as well as a refuge for government officials,” said Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general and an expert on the Syrian military. “Taking over a police station means denying the government a presence in the area, and controlling it.” The battles for the stations appear to have been bloody. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group based in Britain, described the largest of the two stations as a three-story building occupied by dozens of officers and soldiers who were killed during a battle that lasted seven to eight hours. Colonel Okeidi said that about 50 Syrian soldiers had been captured, including a colonel — an assertion, like the others involving the death toll, that could not be independently verified. Rebels also posted a video online that they said showed the second, smaller police station after fighting had ended. It included footage of rebel fighters with AK-47s walking through a ransacked, bullet-riddled station, stepping over at least a dozen bodies. In the same area, rebels said they had captured several members of the Barri clan, a prominent Aleppo family close to the government of Mr. Assad. Rebels accused the clan of killing 15 fighters. One video posted online showed dozens of young men identified as Barri family members or associates with bloodied faces. Another showed several of them, including one man wearing only underwear, being executed outside in broad daylight. Early this week, rebels said they seized an important checkpoint northwest of Aleppo, making it easier to move in supplies and troops from the Turkish border. But for residents of Aleppo, as the fighting has continued, basic needs have become harder to satisfy. Several people in Aleppo said on Tuesday that gas and food were scarce or unavailable as shop owners stayed closed and families tried to hoard whatever they could. “There is no water or electricity in many areas,” said Abou Raed, an activist in Aleppo. “And the schools are now overcrowded with the displaced.” He added, “People are not really moving out now because of the shelling.” In neighborhoods across much of the city, residents said the streets were empty and quiet on Tuesday except for the sound of gunfire, helicopters and artillery shells. Outside Syria, divisions among opposition groups appeared to deepen. The Council of Syrian Revolutionary Trustees, which is an offshoot of the Syrian National Council, the main opposition group in exile, nominated one of its own leaders, Haytham al-Maleh, to form a transitional government. Mr. Maleh, a former political prisoner who resigned from the Syrian National Council over what he described as inefficiencies, said he would form a government including all sides of the opposition, arguing that a new government must be formed immediately to avoid a “political or administrative void” once Mr. Assad’s government was toppled. Mr. Maleh said his group would move to Aleppo after what he called its liberation from Assad government control.

Middle East and North Africa Unrest (2010- )


Xavier Turns Back Upset Bid by Wisconsin

Abstract: BOISE, Idaho — As if reaching the Round of 16 was not enough of a chore for Xavier, the Musketeers did so by beating two opponents Sunday — Wisconsin and themselves. Dragged into a game that was played at a slogging pace, fourth-seeded Xavier rallied to subdue 12th-seeded Wisconsin, 60-49, in the East Region. Xavier advanced to play top-seeded Pittsburgh on Thursday in Boston. Xavier moved on behind its usual balanced attack: B. J. Raymond scored 15 points, Derrick Brown added 10 and C. J. Anderson grabbed 8 rebounds — 5 on the offensive end. But this one was more a matter of will than it was skill. “There was a little frustration out there,” Raymond, a senior guard, said. “We knew it was going to be a grind-it-out game. We had to keep fighting.” The Musketeers were seemingly at a loss for how to stop the penetration of Wisconsin point guard Trevon Hughes and were miffed over referee’s calls and their own missed shots. The body language of the Xavier players was as telling as the scoreboard when they trailed by 7 points early in the second half. Raymond hopped up and down, exasperated that a teammate did not see him wide open in the corner. Dante Jackson’s wild pass sailed out of bounds. Jason Love missed an uncontested dunk and Anderson fumbled the rebound out of bounds. Xavier was rarely out of position on defense, but instead of being content to force Wisconsin to take difficult shots —the Badgers shot just 33 percent in the first half — the Musketeers would be caught reaching or using too much body. When Hughes waved off Jon Leuer, who had come out to set a screen at the 3-point line, and drove for an acrobatic layup as the shot clock wound down, Wisconsin had charged to a 33-26 lead with 17 minutes 20 seconds left. As Hughes pumped his fist and Xavier’s players looked for some deliverance, Xavier Coach Sean Miller called timeout. “He didn’t really yell,” Anderson said. “He just told us we weren’t playing defense.” Suddenly, they were. Hughes’s path to the basket — the one avenue of offense Wisconsin had — was cut off by the pressure of Terrell Holloway and Jackson. And when Hughes did get to the rim, he was met there by Love, Frease and Brown. The Badgers did not score again for seven minutes. “We knew we couldn’t argue about calls or anything else that wasn’t going our way,” Raymond said. “The only thing we can control is making the other team miss.” The offense opened up as well. Xavier dominated the boards in the second half, allowing one offensive rebound. That allowed them to get more transition chances, including two dunks by Jamel McLean and a 3-pointer by Raymond, his second in seven attempts, which was accompanied by a primal scream. “That was more of a release-of-frustration scream,” Raymond said. Wisconsin (20-13) did not have much to shout about. Hughes was 3 for 16 from the field. Jason Bohannon, whose 3-point shooting helped the Badgers upset Florida State on Friday, was tracked all over the court. He finished 2 of 12. Keaton Nankivil was 1 for 8, mostly in the post. Marcus Landry, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block was consistently effective. But he could do only so much. When McLean blocked a layup by Landry and finished off a fast break with a rim-rattling dunk, it not only was a key swing in momentum, it was as if McLean did something more for the Musketeers, flushing away an afternoon of frustration.

NCAA Basketball Tournament (Men)
Xavier University of Ohio
University of Wisconsin


Honor for Jets Rookies, if Only They Knew It

Abstract: FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Against the back wall of the Jets’ equipment room hangs a green No. 82 jersey. It rests on a green hanger and dangles from a silver hook, and it does not belong to Mickey Shuler or Rob Carpenter, who wore that number with pride, or, for that matter, to anyone on the current roster. This can be the source of much confusion. A year ago, when Konrad Reuland joined the Jets, he wondered why a No. 45 jersey was draped in the same spot. Three weeks passed before he asked. “I thought maybe something happened,” Reuland said. “Did someone pass away? Were they honoring somebody? Is it a memorial? Then I found out, and I said, Oh, that makes sense.” The answers to Reuland’s questions can be found on a small plaque affixed to the wall above the jersey. It celebrates the recipients of the Bill Hampton Award, presented to the rookie “who best exemplifies a ‘Pro’ in the locker room”— like Josh Baker (No. 45) and Hayden Smith (No. 82), who, to Reuland’s relief, remain very much alive. The winner’s jersey hangs for a year, and in plain view of players milling about their lockers. But the award, named after Hampton, a beloved former equipment director who retired after the 2000 season, has retained an air of mystery. The five members of the equipment staff, who determine the winner by secret ballot, do not mention it to rookies unless they are asked. So far, only one, defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, has. “You get rewarded for acting like a professional?” said Richardson, recalling his reaction. “Shouldn’t you just do that?” In the eyes of the equipment director Gus Granneman and his staff, yes. Ideally, every rookie should comport himself like Brad Smith (No. 16, 2006), who after practice would pick up his teammates’ discarded sports drink bottles and deposit them in the trash. And ideally, every rookie would have the awareness to pack the shoes best suited to that week’s playing surface, instead of relying on Granneman or his assistants to do it for him. But that is not what happens. As soon as rookie minicamp begins in May, the staff starts observing the contenders. They notice if someone arrives in a suit or bookends his requests with please and thank you. They also notice if a player turns his helmet into a storage receptacle or treats his locker like a junkyard. It was not immediately known how they felt about those players shooting wadded-up balls of athletic tape into trash cans from across the room on Friday. Midway through the season, the staff decides on the finalists. Voting takes place in mid-December, which is also when the politicking tends to begin. With a laugh, Granneman said that Damon Harrison, last year’s runner-up, would call attention to his bag-packing prowess. For much of the year, though, the players are not even aware that they are competing against one another. Like many of his fellow rookies, Ryan Spadola, an undrafted receiver from Lehigh, had not even noticed Smith’s jersey hanging in the equipment room, let alone known the significance behind it. When told, Spadola said it helped him appreciate the high standards to which he said he held himself as an N.F.L. player. “Everything was our responsibility at Lehigh, so you really had to take it upon yourself to hold yourself accountable,” Spadola said. “That’s how we were taught. For myself, coming here, this is a great honor to have these guys helping us out, but I still need to take care of my area, like it’s my little home or bedroom.” Cleanliness is only one of the criteria that Granneman said he considered. Attention to detail is important. So is politeness. A few rookies, who were otherwise unaware of the Hampton award, offered their interpretation of what the equipment staff valued. “Being accountable to your teammates,” Richardson said. “Treating people and your equipment with dignity and respect,” offensive tackle Oday Aboushi said. “A high maturity level, because we all just came from college,” guard Will Campbell said. Other equipment staffs around the league no doubt expect their players to act professionally, but the Jets appear to be the only one that honors them for it. Of the 26 teams that responded to an inquiry, only one bestowed a similar award: the Philadelphia Eagles, under Andy Reid, honored the player — not the rookie — who exemplified professionalism. An Eagles spokesman said in an e-mail that he did not know whether the new coach, Chip Kelly, would continue the practice. When the Jets relocated here from Hempstead, N.Y., in 2008, Granneman said that one of his first thoughts was where to put the jersey. The tradition, informally, dates to 2002, when the equipment staff decided to reward a player who had shown marked improvement over the course of the season. As a joke, they gave him a sweatshirt. But it occurred to Granneman to introduce a more formal award, and he did so in 2004 (Erik Coleman, No. 26). The nine previous winners range from the sublime (Darrelle Revis, 2007) to the shifty (Danny Woodhead, 2008) to the sturdy (Matt Slauson, 2009), with the victory by Slauson, a guard, bucking precedent and conventional wisdom. “If a lineman wins it, you know he’s really going good,” Granneman said. “Those guys, by nature, aren’t the neatest.” Not many seem to have much staying power. It is the Jets’ micro version of the Madden video game curse or the Sports Illustrated cover jinx, because the last three recipients — John Conner, Baker and Smith — are all out of the N.F.L. “We haven’t had good luck predicting long-term success with the Jets,” Granneman said. Naturally, that will not stop him from granting the award for a 10th consecutive season. Granneman declined to handicap an early favorite but said there were plenty of appealing candidates. “We’ve been watching,” he said.


Hernandez’s Girlfriend Now a Focus

Abstract: Investigators searching for the gun used to kill a semipro football player are looking into whether the former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez asked his girlfriend, Shayanna Jenkins, to get rid of the weapon shortly after the victim’s body was found.

Hernandez
Football
Patriots
Aaron
Shayanna Jenkins
Odin Lloyd
Murders
Massachusetts


After Crisis, Greeks Work to Promote ‘Social’ Economy

Abstract: ALONIA, Greece — The feisty owner of a small family business that makes detergents has never had time for anticapitalist firebrands. So he was suspicious and skeptical when he was approached by left-leaning activists campaigning to purge “profiteers” from the market. But, struggling to keep his business afloat under the weight of unpaid invoices and constant demands for bribes, the owner, Savvas Mavromatis, decided to give their proposal a shot. He started selling his products directly to consumers for cash at fixed prices through a nonprofit collective, instead of to shops and traders as he had always done. Fourteen months later, he credits the group with saving his enterprise from a Greek economic meltdown that rivals the Great Depression. “We are in the middle of a terrible crisis and are just looking for solutions,” said Elias Tsolakidis, the driving force behind the so-called no-middlemen movement here in northern Greece, a small, quixotic but surprisingly successful effort to redefine the terms of commerce. “We don’t have a magic wand. We are not communists and we are not capitalists, but we are trying to help people survive.” In their search for solutions, Greeks are tinkering with a new kind of economy with little precedent in modern Europe. The collapse of the Greek economy is challenging not only the survival of Greeks, but also some of the basic mechanisms of capitalism in a nation where the economy has shrunk by about 25 percent since 2008. In the view of widening numbers here, Greece’s market-driven system has broken down, a victim of endemic corruption, budgetary mismanagement by the state and the overbearing demands of global financial markets. In response, experimental ventures like the one Mr. Mavromatis joined have sprung up on the margins in towns and cities across Greece. While they may not offer a long-term solution, and are too small to alter the overall shape of the economy, they represent a bottom-up effort to address an economic crisis whose closest antecedent may be the aftermath of World War II. Attacks on modern profit-driven capitalism are hardly new in Greece, where Syriza, a coalition of radical leftist forces , narrowly lost the last national election in 2012 and, according to opinion polls, is now the country’s most popular party. Its leader, Alexis Tsipras, decorates his party’s office in Athens with a poster of the revolutionary icon Che Guevara. But Syriza, like many other left-wing parties across Europe, has had a hard time matching fiery criticism of “neo-liberal” economics with concrete actions to ease economic pain, including 27 percent unemployment. It has focused mostly on denouncing job cuts, particularly in the bloated public sector, and attacking austerity measures imposed by Greece’s international creditors in return for $328 billion in bailouts. As the left remains deeply committed to much of the status quo, the task of answering calls for a new economic order and bringing some relief to Greece’s misery has fallen to people like Mr. Tsolakidis, who organizes the ranks of the no-middlemen movement in his region through a local nonprofit collective called the Voluntary Action Group of Pieria. The movement seeks to cut out wholesalers, shop managers, state bureaucrats or anyone else between producers and consumers who once took a share of profits and added to the costs of goods. Instead, Mr. Tsolakidis’s group runs a website where orders are placed in advance and then distributed at markets to customers for a fixed price paid in cash. His group takes a small cut to cover expenses, but it does not pay salaries to its members, more than 3,500 volunteers who have jobs or are unemployed. It is a small link in a long chain of ventures seeking to create a parallel “social” economy, starting with what became known as the “potato revolution,” a now nationwide movement that has slashed the price of potatoes by getting farmers to sell directly to customers. In addition to its regular no-middlemen markets, held in parking lots across the region, the Voluntary Action Group operates a free health clinic staffed by volunteer doctors and a pharmacy stocked with donated drugs. Image The company joined with Voluntary Action Group to sell in smaller markets. Credit Angelos Tzortzinis for The New York Times Christos Kalaitzis, 53, a convert to the cause who grows kiwis, olives and chickpeas with his wife on their farm near Mount Olympus, acknowledged that he, too, had initially been skeptical but had gotten so fed up with not being paid by big wholesalers and exporters that went bust after taking his products that he had taken the chance. “The goal is not to destroy the old market system but just to slow it down and get it to change,” Mr. Kalaitzis explained. “Maybe this is a bit romantic, but why should I sell to big companies if their checks bounce? If the free market in Greece worked properly, none of this would be necessary.” By cutting out marketplace middlemen and avoiding appeals to the state for help — the customary approach of many Greek leftists — the activists hope to address, they say, the passive despair felt by many Greeks, who may need a generation or more to climb out of their economic hole. “This is a whole new concept for Greece,” said Fiori Zafeiropoulou, an expert on ways to mix social goals and business initiatives who advised officials drafting a new law that gives legal status to “social cooperative enterprises,” entities that combine both business interests and social benefits. Unlike left-leaning activists, however, she does not want to upend market forces, only to make them better serve the underprivileged. Progress, she said, has often been slow because “in Greece there is a problem, and the problem is called corruption” — what she defined as a whole culture that revolves around getting favors from the state, as well as demanding bribes and kickbacks. Mr. Mavromatis, the detergent maker, said the purchasing managers at supermarkets, whether owned by Greeks or foreigners, all demanded bribes just to agree to a meeting so he could present his products. They also asked for money to ensure good display for his goods, he said. The price varied depending on which shelf he wanted his detergent placed on, with the shelf near the floor costing less. On average he paid about $1,300 a transaction, plus gifts at Christmas and other holidays. He said that when he started selling through the no-middlemen group, “I had been dealing with supermarkets for so long I kept waiting for them to ask for money under the table. But nobody ever asked, and I have not paid anything.” “I could not understand why they were doing all this for free,” Mr. Mavromatis, 46, added. “I was very suspicious and kept thinking: ‘Where is the catch?’ ” He said he believed in the free market, but not in Greece, where it is distorted by corruption at every level, public and private. Mr. Mavromatis said he had invested about $680,000 to upgrade his production line on a promise from the government that he would be partly reimbursed from “cohesion funds” provided to Greece from the European Union. But the government, he said, diverted the money earmarked for business development to pay for relief work after a series of forest fires. He said that the government still owed him about $273,000, but that he does not expect it any time soon, if ever. On top of that, he is owed $404,000 from shops and other buyers who purchased his detergents and paid for them with bad checks. “In the beginning, I went to court to sue them, but they had no money,” he said, opening a ledger stuffed with worthless checks. Today Mr. Mavromatis is a regular at the no-middlemen markets. While he said he got a slightly lower price than before, he no longer has to worry about paying bribes or getting checks that bounce. Struggling families, meanwhile, get to buy household detergent, fruit and a host of other goods at a fraction of the normal market price. Flush with cash for the first time since Greece’s economy went into a nose dive in 2008, Mr. Mavromatis recently bought a new Mercedes-Benz truck to transport his detergents from his factory in a village near the town of Katerini, the regional capital, and has expanded his product line to include toilet paper. Even after six straight years of recession, he said, “people need to wash clothes, do their dishes and go to the bathroom.”

Greece
Price
Nonprofit
Euro Crisis
Syriza,Coalition of the Radical Left
Recession and Depression


Microsoft Introduces a Challenger to the iPad

Abstract: LOS ANGELES — In its most strategically significant push yet into the hardware business, Microsoft on Monday unveiled a tablet computer called Surface that is intended to challenge Apple ’s iPad . At a press event here, the company showed off a tablet that is about the same weight and thickness as an iPad, with a 10.6-inch screen. The device has a built-in “kickstand” that allows it to be propped up for watching movies, and a thin detachable cover that will serve double duty as a keyboard. The Surface tablet runs a variation of Windows 8, a version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system that is due out in the fall. Steven A. Ballmer , Microsoft’s chief executive, said the product was part of a longstanding tradition at Microsoft to create hardware, like computer mice, that show off innovations in its software. “We want to give Windows 8 its own companion hardware innovations,” Mr. Ballmer said. Microsoft executives, however, were largely mum on how Surface would affect the company’s relationships with PC makers, the hardware companies that are the vehicles for sales of Windows software. With its new tablet, Microsoft will effectively be competing directly with its biggest customers. When asked whether Surface would damage those ties, Steven Sinofsky, the president of Microsoft’s Windows division, gently pushed a reporter in the direction of a stand of Surface tablets and said, “Go learn something.” Analysts said it wasn’t clear that Microsoft could depend on PC companies to build something as compelling as the iPad. “This was clearly a referendum on Microsoft’s partners,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner, a technology research firm. “Microsoft felt they could not rely on others to deliver on their vision for Windows 8 in mobile computing.” Microsoft’s decision to create its own tablet was an acknowledgment that the company needed to depart from its regular way of doing business to get a grip on a threat to its dominance in computing. While it has made a few hardware products over the years, including the Xbox video game console, Zune music player and computer keyboards, Microsoft is still thought of largely as a software company. In the computer business, it has for decades left the work of creating machines that run Windows to Hewlett-Packard , Dell and others. But the response to Apple’s iPad has considerably raised consumers’ expectations of how well hardware and software work together. That has put pressure on Microsoft to create a tighter marriage of hardware and software if it is to compete seriously with Apple’s products. As it prepares to release Windows 8, which is designed for touch-screen devices, Microsoft can ill afford a flop. The iPad already has eaten into sales of low-end Windows laptops, and there are growing signs that Apple’s tablet is becoming increasingly attractive to business customers , a lucrative market Microsoft has dominated for years. Microsoft said one version of the Surface tablet would come with 32 gigabytes or 64 gigabytes of storage and feature a type of chip called ARM that is commonly used in mobile devices. Mr. Sinfosky said the price would be comparable to that of other tablets that use ARM chips. He said a professional version of the tablet would come with an Intel processor, which is standard in more conventional PCs, and would be similar in price to ultrabooks, thin laptops that often start at around $1,000. Mr. Sinofsky said the ARM tablet would be available when the next version of Windows was released this fall, and the professional version would go on sale a few months later. With the detachable keyboard for Surface, known as Touch Cover, Microsoft seemed to be positioning its tablet as a more business-friendly alternative to the iPad, one that is better suited to productivity tasks that require faster typing. The keyboard has touch-sensing keys that become inactive when the cover is closed. The keyboard could make Surface more competitive with Apple’s thin MacBook Air and more traditional Windows laptops. It will come in a variety of bright colors, adding a whimsical touch to the dark, hard-edged appearance of Surface. The company would not say whether the keyboard will be sold with Surface or separately. One thing that will most likely limit sales of the tablet is Microsoft’s initial plan to sell it only in the company’s own retail stores, along with its Web store. Microsoft has opened 20 stores, and five more are coming soon. On Monday, Microsoft seemed to borrow from Apple in the way it introduced the product. The company invited the news media to the event with only a few days’ notice and maintained an unusual air of secrecy around its details, withholding even its exact location until Monday morning. If that alone wasn’t enough to pique the interest of the tech industry, the company took the risky step of more explicitly building up expectations for the event by promising invitees a “major Microsoft announcement,” and telling them they “will not want to miss it.” In part, the secrecy worked, sending the blogosphere into a whirlwind of speculation about what the company had planned. The location of the event suggested to many that the device would be accompanied by a push into entertainment. But Microsoft announced no such plan and offered no explanation for why it held its event in Los Angeles.


In N.H.L. Free Agency, Wild Sign Parise and Suter

Abstract: For Zach Parise, the attraction of returning home proved too strong to pass up. On Wednesday, he reluctantly left the Devils , with whom he had spent his entire N.H.L. career, and signed a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild . Parise, the 27-year-old captain who led the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals this past season, said in a conference call, “I loved playing in New Jersey.” He added that it was “very, very hard to leave” and “at the end it was between New Jersey and Minnesota. That’s what it came down to: just the idea of being able to come home and be around family.” Ryan Suter, who established himself as one of the best defensemen in hockey with the Nashville Predators , also signed a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Wild. Parise said General Manager Lou Lamoriello was “very supportive” of his decision. “We were upfront and honest with each other through this whole process,” Parise said. “He said, ‘If that’s what you really want, I’m happy for you, I wish you the best.’ He couldn’t have been nicer about it.” Lamoriello said that Parise told him “if he wasn’t going home to Minnesota he would be coming to New Jersey. It was one of the toughest decisions he said he had to make. I respect that.” Minnesota General Manager Chuck Fletcher said it was “a great day in the history of the Minnesota Wild.” The team has a rabid fan base, but has missed the last four postseasons and has not won a playoff round since 2003. Parise grew up in Minneapolis, the son of J. P. Parise, the former Islander and Minnesota North Star. Suter, the son of the 1980 Olympian Bob Suter, grew up in Madison, Wis., and his wife, Becky, is from Bloomington, Minn. Parise and Suter are friends who played together for the United States at the world junior tournament and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Parise and Suter have conferred with each other since Sunday, when the free-agent market opened. Suddenly, the Wild leap from being one of the N.H.L.’s weakest teams, with by far the fewest goals scored, to a possible contender. Moreover, the Wild are suddenly infused with a measure of glamour. The N.H.L. has long wished to stage a Winter Classic in Minnesota, which calls itself the State of Hockey and has more registered players per capita than any state except Alaska. The Parise and Suter signings make the Twin Cities seem like a shoo-in to follow Ann Arbor, Mich., site of the 2013 Winter Classic, as the 2014 host for the outdoor New Year’s Day game. The Predators were unhappy with Suter’s decision. General Manager David Poile said in a conference call that he was “disappointed and very surprised” and did not have a chance to match Minnesota’s offer. Lamoriello was able to re-sign most of his free agents over the last week, including goalie Martin Brodeur and defenseman Bryce Salvador, despite the team’s debt problems. But he lost Parise to the lure of family and likened the loss to that of defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who left the Devils in 2005 to play alongside his brother, Rob, in Anaheim, Calif. In a conference call with reporters, Lamoriello said the Devils’ offer to Parise was “competitive” with the Wild’s offer. He said the offer was made Saturday in suburban Toronto to Parise and his agents, Wade Arnott and Don Meehan. “We made our offer and were told that the money we offered would not be an issue,” Lamoriello said, adding that he was not asked to make a second offer and that the Devils’ financial problems were not part of the negotiations. “The decision from what Zach told me was based upon going home and playing with someone he grew up with.” “It’s a very unfortunate thing when you have a player of his stature that’s come up through the ranks, and the decision is made to go elsewhere,” Lamoriello said. “Zach Parise you never replace. He was our leader, the prototype of a Devils player and a great example to younger players. It’s a loss, there’s no question.” The announcement ended four days of waiting for decisions from Parise and Suter. Parise fielded calls with his agents outside Toronto from Saturday through Monday, then went home to Minnesota on Tuesday. Suter was at his farm outside Madison, while his agent fielded calls at his office in International Falls, Minn. On Tuesday, delegations from the Wild and the Detroit Red Wings visited Suter in Madison. The Detroit delegation included the team’s owner, Mike Ilitch. But Suter, speaking in the same conference call as Parise, said the two did not arrive at their joint decision to go to Minnesota until late in the process. “I’d say only last night and into this morning it became realistic,” Suter said.

Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Parise Zach
Suter Ryan
National Hockey League
Free Agents (Sports)
Hockey Ice
New Jersey Devils


Florida: University President Faces Reprimand in Hazing Investigation

Abstract: Florida A&M University’s Board of Trustees voted Thursday to reprimand the school’s president rather than place him on leave after the death of a band member in an episode that detectives say was related to hazing. The 8-to-4 vote came in place of a motion to put President James Ammons on administrative leave until the completion of the criminal investigation into the death of the drum major, Robert Champion. Asked afterward if he thought he had “dodged a bullet,” Mr. Ammons said, “I heard the bullet loudly and clearly.” Critics say the president should have been more aggressive in fighting hazing. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has asked the university to stop any disciplinary action until the investigation ends. Four expelled students have returned to classes, and the band director, Julian White, who had faced termination, has been placed on paid leave instead.

Florida
Hazing
Florida A&M University
Champion Robert
Colleges and Universities
Ammons James


Battling Knee Injury, Nadal Falls to Murray

Abstract: Second-seeded Andy Murray overcame an injured Rafael Nadal , 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, on Sunday to become the first British winner at the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The top-ranked Nadal was bothered by an injured right knee and had to call a medical timeout in the second set before deciding to continue the match. “Rafael was hurt at the beginning of the second set,” Murray said. “On one leg he could still go on. That’s how good he is.” Murray took the first set after breaking Nadal in the sixth game, but Nadal fought back in the second. He struggled with his serve in the third set because of his knee, and Murray sealed the win with an ace. Tim Henman of Britain was runner-up at the event three times, losing in the 1999, 2000 and 2002 finals. Nadal was trying to become the first Spaniard to win in Rotterdam. Juan Carlos Ferrero lost the 2004 final to Lleyton Hewitt. “It was a very important week for me, but Andy has had a wonderful year, and I would like to congratulate him,” Nadal said. Appearing in his 41st career final, Nadal, the Australian Open champion, was not at his best, struggling to counter Murray’s powerful service game. After breaking Nadal’s first game in the deciding set, Murray held on to win his 10th career title. MAURESMO TOPS DEMENTIEVA Amélie Mauresmo won her first WTA Tour title in two years, outlasting Elena Dementieva , 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-4, in the final of the Open GDF Suez in Paris. Mauresmo broke Dementieva twice in the third set, winning the opening game on a forehand error from Dementieva. She increased her lead to 4-1 after Dementieva sent a backhand wide. Dementieva saved a match point at 5-2 to erase a break. But Mauresmo, the former top-ranked player, converted her second match point with a service winner for her first title since February 2007. “The feeling you have when you conclude a tournament with the title is different than a good week with a defeat,” Mauresmo said. “It’s a special feeling. It gives you an extraordinary confidence.” STEPANEK DEFEATS FISH Fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek won his second ATP title this year, rallying to beat fifth-seeded Mardy Fish , 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the SAP Open in San Jose, Calif. A day after rallying from a set down to beat the 2008 champion Andy Roddick in the semifinals, Stepanek was forced to do the same against Fish. He became the first Czech player to win the event since Ivan Lendl in 1983. Fish, 27, lost 10 straight points during one stretch in the third set, 9 by unforced error. The turning point of the match came in the second set when Stepanek held serve to go ahead, 5-4, then broke Fish to tie the match and force a third set. “Until that moment Mardy was serving incredibly so I really didn’t have many chances,” Stepanek said. “I knew I had to stay with him, hold my serve and try to wait for my chances, which I believed would come.” KLEYBANOVA RALLIES Alisa Kleybanova beat Anna Lapushchenkova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in an all-Russian match in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Kleybanova will face the former top-ranked Ana Ivanovic, who had a first-round bye. Ivanovic has slipped to No. 8 in the WTA rankings and recently started training with a new coach, Craig Kardon. Zheng Jie and Kaia Kanepi also advanced to the second round. The 13th-seeded Zheng defeated Anastasia Rodionova of Russia, 6-1, 6-1, and the 16th-seeded Kanepi beat Tamira Paszek of Austria, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Tennis
Nadal Rafael
Murray Andy (1987- )
Mauresmo Amelie
Dementieva Elena
Fish Mardy
Stepanek Radek
Kleybanova Alisa