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A dozen 9-year-old girls in jelly-bean-colored bathing suits were learning the crawl at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp one recent morning as older girls in yellow and green camp uniforms practiced soccer, fused glass in the art studio or tried out the climbing wall. Their parents, meanwhile, were bombarding the camp with calls: one wanted help arranging private guitar lessons for her daughter, another did not like the sound of her child's voice during a recent conversation, and a third needed to know -- preferably today -- which of her daughter's four varieties of vitamins had run out. All before lunch. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How is the water? It's a question Capt. John Lipscomb is asked all the time as he patrols the Hudson estuary for Riverkeeper, an environmental group that works to improve water quality. The answer, according to a report analyzing river swimmability that the group plans to release Thursday morning, is variable. When the water is good it is surprisingly good, but when it is bad, it's not safe to splash on skin. And the quality varies day by day, block by block. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

More than a dozen people were injured, one of them critically, in an apartment fire in Brooklyn early Tuesday in which firefighters rescued six people, and two small children were dropped to safety from a second-floor apartment, according to fire officials and witnesses. The fire, at the corner of Newkirk and Ocean Avenues in Flatbush, broke out around 2 a.m. and sent eight members of one family to the hospital. Six people remained hospitalized last night. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

FOR 10 years Lisa Krizner-George had worked as a draper, making costumes for Broadway shows like ''Wicked,'' ''Hairspray'' and ''Oklahoma!'' She took sketches from designers and turned fantasies into fabric. But becoming a designer herself would have required an extra degree and starting over in the kind of company where she worked. ''It was something I'd always dreamed of,'' said Ms. Krizner-George, 42. ''I really wanted to get back into designing.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

FOR many female entrepreneurs, necessity is the mother of their venture. Take Carla Schneider, 40, of Orange, whose product, the WubbaNub, a silicon pacifier with a small stuffed animal attached, has been used in neonatal intensive care units and by mothers of fussy babies around the country. Ms. Schneider invented it during the first family vacation that she and her husband, Bret, took with their son, also Bret, now 9. Three months old at the time, Bret would sleep only with a pacifier in his mouth, but it kept falling out. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Something about the man in the banana costume appealed to Ricardo Miranda Zuniga. Maybe it was the sign he wore that read, ''A banana from my country can travel easier than me.'' Maybe it was the fruit-wearer's free-spiritedness as he paraded in his peel through public places. Or maybe it was the Latino roots they shared. So when Mr. Zuniga, 37, a graphic artist from Brooklyn who also works with new media, was looking through the portfolios of immigrant artists who were seeking mentors, he picked Hatuey Ramos-Fermin, 30, a conceptual artist from the Bronx who has made videos of himself playing Benito Banana, a character he created to reflect on migration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nowadays, most tales of longstanding and beloved family businesses in New York seem to end with a sniff and a final mop of the floor. But as Zabar's, the venerable West Side purveyor of New York noshes, approaches its 75th anniversary next year, it is flourishing and still very much in the family. Overseeing aisles of smoked fish, a United Nations worth of cheeses, and the iconic coffee and rugelach is the firm's president, Saul Zabar, who will celebrate the 75th anniversary of his 5th birthday next week. Mr. Zabar says that he does not remember the grand opening of the original Zabar's but does remember his own role in the early days: As a lookout posted on Broadway because of the Blue Laws, when stores were ordered to -- but did not always -- close from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shortly after last week's unveiling of the portrait of Eloise, the endearing denizen of the Plaza Hotel, we started thinking about other children's books set in New York City, and how they caught our imaginations early on. They helped convince us, back when we were truly the center of the universe, that New York might actually share that honor. Not that we shared much back then. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Harold Wenning, 69, remembers what he called ''the one-for-five trick'' from his days running a news kiosk in Midtown Manhattan. ''They'll say it's a five and give you a one,'' he said. ''I had a guy say it was a 20 once and he gave me a one. I had a guy buy a roll of quarters from me and he gave me a dollar. That happens.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The walls of the historic Provincetown Playhouse in Greenwich Village will be preserved under a plan released by New York University on Friday, a move that Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, hailed as ''tremendous progress'' in the talks between the university and community leaders about the site. Plans had included a proposal to demolish the building. The university's earlier proposal for the site at 133-139 Macdougal Street featured a new six-story building that would be used by N.Y.U.'s School of Law and a new theater for use by both the university and the community. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

''DO we all hate Mother's Day?'' Leslie Josel of Larchmont asked the 10 other women seated around a coffee table in a living room one recent early spring evening. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It was, in a way, the fox delivering a message to anyone in the henhouse who cared to listen. The fox, in this instance, was Christopher J. Christie, the United States attorney for New Jersey, whose office has convicted or secured plea agreements from 126 public officials in the past six and a half years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The New Jersey surfer defies stereotype. He may work as a carpenter or as an eye surgeon. Could be in his 20s or late 50s. He's able to ''rip the swell'' in water temperatures of 50 degrees for up to six hours, then hop on a one-speed bicycle with a board and steer one-handed. Or no-handed, while doing that signature thumb-and-pinky sign. On a sunny but cool afternoon here on Holgate beach, several wave aficionados shrugged their well-cut shoulders or shook their soggy heads over the township's recently passed Ordinance 08-07C, pertaining ''to peace and good order.'' Its stated purpose is ''to prohibit the change of clothes in any public area or public street unless within a permanent enclosed structure.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

THERE are ways in which the Brunners are like many other middle-aged married couples. Former high school and college sweethearts, they finish each other's sentences and order the same food at restaurants. They shuttle their three children to sports practices, and laugh when their 90-pound Labrador retriever jumps onto the sofa to lick guests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For a dozen years, Mohammad Qatanani has supported the members of the Islamic Center of Passaic County by speaking at funerals, hashing out ethical dilemmas and sometimes opening his home to domestic-violence victims at a moment's notice. But now Dr. Qatanani, 44, the imam of the mosque here, requires the support of the members: he has been barred by federal immigration authorities from renewing his driver's license, and must call on friends to ferry him to hospitals for visits with the sick among his flock. There are fund-raisers for him at the mosque. And after Friday prayers, the hugs the men give him seem to last extra long. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two blocks from the wood-paneled office where Sharpe James ran New Jersey's largest city for 20 years, the former mayor made a stealthy exit through a back door of the federal courthouse here on Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of fraud for conspiring to sell city-owned properties to a former companion at a fraction of their value. For Mr. James, 72, who had built a formidable political machine before his tawdry fall, it was a day of mixed images. After listening stone-faced to the verdict, he kissed his wife of five decades on the cheek as his former companion, Tamika Riley, 39, trailed a few steps behind. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the public school district in East Brunswick, N.J., was not violating the constitutional rights of a football coach when it prohibited staff members from participating in student prayers. Marcus Borden, who has been the head football coach at East Brunswick High School since 1983, sued the district in 2005, saying its policy violated his rights to free speech and due process, as well as to academic freedom and freedom of association. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is not uncommon for shots to ring out at night in the West End housing projects, where public surveillance cameras rise over parking lots. Across town, private cameras guard historic homes in the exclusive Sleepy Hollow section where the former governor, James E. McGreevey, lives. Early Thursday in this city of contrasts, local police officers and state troopers swept in and arrested 27 people, completing a roundup that was begun in January and ended with the arrest of a total of 91 people suspected of being gang members. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

At the lime-green wall, soon to be whitewashed, all the elements are there for poignant remembrances: a curtain scheduled to come down, forever; a creative genius who dies young, before his dreams come to life; a show about an exotic dancer who dies young and musically and slowly; and a doorway where the fans, more devoted than most, wait longer than usual, before and after each show. Add a felt-tipped pen or two, and the tributes are spreading on the wall of the Nederlander Theater, where ''Rent,'' one of the longest-running musicals on Broadway, is approaching its final act, with the closing date set for Sept. 7. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tim Matheney stalked the silent hallways of South Brunswick High School one recent Wednesday at 1:07 p.m., peering into dark, seemingly empty classrooms and jotting down room numbers whenever he heard giggles behind locked doors. Students were supposed to remain silent and out of sight. Mr. Matheney, the school's principal, was roaming the suburban campus as if he were an ''active shooter,'' a la Virginia Tech or Columbine, as part of a ''lockdown drill'' now required twice a year here and in many schools around the country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Al Hicks was standing outside an old mine in the Adirondacks, the largest bat hibernaculum, or winter resting place, in New York State. It was broad daylight in the middle of winter, and bats flew out of the mine about one a minute. Some had fallen to the ground where they flailed around on the snow like tiny wind-broken umbrellas, using the thumbs at the top joint of their wings to gain their balance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over their dinner table in Maplewood, N.J., Joy and Jeff Yagid tried to answer delicately when their daughter, Della, 6, asked why her father had remarked that Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York was having a bad day on Monday. Pause. Mr. Yagid looked to Ms. Yagid for help. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Daniella, the 6-month-old, pink-clad baby abandoned by her parents and dropped off at a firehouse in Queens last week, took a circuitous and unusual route to safety with the help of her father's sister's companion, a livery cab driver. At first, he was seen as a hero, then a liar when it was learned he had invented a story about a stranger leaving the baby in his cab. The story, and the way it crumbled, captured the city's imagination, and some 40 people have offered to adopt Daniella. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on a training program for police officers teaching them to deal with crimes involving people suffering from autism, a neurological disorder that impairs one's ability to communicate to others. It reports that the training session was led by Dennis Debbaudt, an author, and sponsored by Parents of Autistic Children, a nonprofit service group. It describes the importance of the training as well as methods to understand the problems related to persons with autism.

The article reports that a 4th grader 9-year-old boy has been suspended from his school in Plainfield, New Jersey for taking a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun to the school. It is mentioned that the boy could be charged with juvenile delinquency for possession of the handgun. The investigation officials are trying to determine how the boy obtained the weapon and what he intended to do with it.

The article focuses on 82-year-old magician Gregory Tanis. It states that Tanis, the oldest magician in New Jersey, still performs old magic tricks at parties, about 70 years after he first entertained at a birthday party for $5 or $10. It mentions that Tanis fees has increased to $150 from $5 or $10. It also states that Tanis has no web sites and he runs his business without modern-day conveniences.

The article reports on the decision of Jon S. Corzine, Governor of New Jersey, to keep the government open on the day after Thanksgiving day. It is mentioned that the governor had taken the decision as it would help the state to save huge amount of money by working on an assigned holiday. However the governor's decision was not appreciated by several government officials who had been following the trend of celebrating the Thanksgiving day.

The article focuses on the pursuing of the extradition of Avrohom Mondrowitz, a man indicted in 1985 for child abuse and sodomy involving four boys aged 9 to 15, from Israel after 22 years. It describes how he sexually assaulted boys while posing as an educator or counselor and reports processes involved in the extradition. It reports that problems may arise in the investigation as the accused belongs to an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect and the community may not cooperate with the investigation.

The article reports that the New Jersey civil union law is not working effectively. This was told to the Civil Union Review Commission constituted to monitor the effectiveness of the law. In September 2007, dozens of couples attended the hearings of the commission. Jodi Weiner, an electrician form Montclair, said that she did not get health benefits for her partner and was told that her plan did not cover civil unions. She got benefits when she told them about their marriage in Massachusetts.

The article reports on the progress achieved in various child welfare programs in New Jersey. According to E. Susan Hodgson, a New Jersey based child advocate, despite the introduction of new health reforms in the health welfare system in New Jersey much improvement has not been achieved. He states that the progress has not been achieved in the health care system due to the inefficiency of health care workers.

The article offers information on the findings of a report related to child care in New Jersey. It was revealed that the New Jersey Department of Children and Families has been successful in improving the conditions of the neglected children in the state. According to the report the department has accomplished several remarkable works in the welfare of children such as introduction of new computer systems, reduction of caseloads and introduction of medical facilities.

The article offers information on the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival that was held on October 20, 2007, in Rhinebeck, New York. The festival was attended by around 12000 for shopping for fleeces, selling sheep, and to watch various amusement events. It is informed that Mac Gilliant, a judge evaluated angora goats during a goat show at the festival.

The article reports on a virus, killing white-tailed deers in the parts of New Jersey. The virus is carried by small biting insects and causes epizootic hemorrhagic diseases in the infected animals and can kill them within five to 10 days. It is mentioned that the common symptoms of the disease are high fevers and bleeding from mouth, nose and eyes. According to New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, the disease is not expected to decrease the state's deer population considerably.

The article reports that the health benefits processing services of the U.S. Department of Justice has improved remarkably. It is stated that improvement was observed after the department came under questioning for denying or delaying death benefits for U.S. emergency workers to their beneficiaries. It is mentioned that in August 2007 the department had denied claims made by several beneficiaries on ground of insufficient medical records.

The article presents the U.S. news briefs from metrpolitan areas. The crime rate of New York continued to drop in the first half of 2007, including number of rapes decreasing 19 percent and robberies dropping 13 percent. One of the organists of a Hudson Valley church has been accused of stealing more than $12,000 in church donations. The State Supreme Court of New Jersey has been asked by a woman to reconsider its unanimous ruling to dismiss her malpractice lawsuit relating her 1996 abortion.

The article presents information on the increasing number of older age firefighter trainees or volunteers at Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah, New Jersey. James Dougherty, an instructor in Bergen County says that older trainees are better than the young ones and he welcomes them. Many of such trainees say that the attacks of September 11, 2001 inspired them to join the training.

The article reports that an anonymous bomb threat was received by the Mayor of Emerson, in Bergen County to blow up the schools in Emerson on September 19, 2007. Soon after the threat was received the schools were evacuated and a search was lead by bomb squads. However no bomb was found on any of the mentioned locations. As a precautionary measure, it was declared that the schools will remain closed on September 20, 2007.

The article reports on the New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling that a doctor does not have to inform a woman that her abortion will result in killing an existing human being. The decision came regarding a case filed by Rosa Acuna, a mother of two, against Sheldon C. Turkish who performed her abortion procedure in 1996. Ed Barocas, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has welcomed the judgment while Marie Tasy of New Jersey Right to Life has disapproved of it.

The article offers information regarding reactions of different classes of persons on sex change of a principal of a school at Career & Technical Center, Ulster County, New York. It states that the principal Gary Suraci, who has now changer her sex name to Genna Suraci, has caused a stir amongst students and staff. Whereas, some students are unaffected by the fact, some have refused to rejoin the school, as, according to them it has a negative influence.

The article focuses on the successful immunization program of Newark, New Jersey. It is mentioned that the city has brought its immunization rate among children ages 19 months to 35 months up to 75% in 2005 from 58% in 2001. The city authorities have adopted the policy to contact nearly all parents and keep a registry of immunization. The city has set a goal of increasing vaccination rates to 90% by 2010.

The article reports that a 9-year-old boy was registered under the juvenile equivalent of aggravated manslaughter case for beating Tahir Francis, a toddler to death in Woodbridge, New Jersey. The incident occurred at a daycare center owned by 64-year-old Beverly Bryant who was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child. It is reported that Francis died after suffering from multiple skull fractures.

The article reports that an elderly woman named Louise Paciarello was strangled to death in her apartment in Yonkers, New York. Paciarello's home caught fire after the incident. According to reports, a note was also found which is being linked to her death. One of the neighbors told police that she showed the note to him and said that someone is trying to get into her apartment. It states that she was living in the complex for the past 15 years.

The article offers information on climatic variation being experienced in several parts of U.S. in August 2007. It is stated that New York City experienced a lot of rain and hail storm, with 19 degrees being recorded as the minimum temperature ever experienced in August. Other regions in the U.S. that are experiencing a cold weather includes Asbury Park in New Jersey were people have been warned against swimming in the ocean due to cold water.

The article presents information about beach Mass celebrated by Trinity Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The mass is celebrated on Saturdays at 6 p.m. which attracts passersby from Boardwalk, some regular parish members and some visitors from a retirement housing complex in Asbury Towers. Sharon Babb of Neptune says that this was God's first church.

The article presents information about the virtual pets website, www.webkinz.com of Webkinz World and the people who have visited it. According to the site, the risk is not that the webkinz will die, but they can become sick. Sue Ostroff, a home day care provider in New Jersey says that feeds her daughter's 12 webkinz. Joan Selkow of Parkland, Florida provides virtual care for 40 critters when her children are away for the summer camp.

The article reports on a declaration made by agricultural officials of New Jersey that gypsy moths have infested more than 320,000 acres in New Jersey in 2007. It is expected that about 17,000 acres of trees would die due to gypsy moth infestation. According to Charles M. Kuperus, state secretary of agriculture, the gypsy moth infestation is an environmental threat for the role of trees in filtering the air and providing a habitat for animals.

The article reports on the dropping of charges of double murder on Byron Halsey, a resident of New Jersey who had spent 19 years in prison. It is stated that Halsey was exonerated through DNA testing, making him the fifth such case in New Jersey and the 205th inmate internationally. It is also informed that Halsey's case was revived by the Innocence Project of the Manhattan legal clinic.

The article narrates how Bob Fay, a postal worker, was missed by people and creatures in Maplewood, New Jersey, during his absence from the work due to knee injury for five months. Fay is working as a mail carrier for the 14 years in the town. A customer named Elizabeth King, wrote in an e-mail that her letters were disarranged when he was off on leave. Another customer said her dog named Shadow missed Fay too and used to bark at other mail carriers.

The article offers information on the hearing of complaints filed to the state of New Jersey by the newly formed Civil Union Review Commission of the state. The commission was formed by an order of the State Supreme Court to extend same rights and benefits to same-sex couples as heterosexual couples. J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, chairman of the commission, stated that all the complaints received by the commission are about the discrimination faced by the same-sex couples.

The article reports on the closure of the West Brook Middle School in Paramus, New Jersey, where contaminated soil was found in December 2006. On May 29, 2007, Mayor James J. Tedesco III took the decision to close down the school after students and parents protested over the issue. He also ordered to remove two truckloads of the soil contaminated with old, banned pesticides. The protesters were angry over the fact that the contaminated soil was not removed when it was found.