Drayage Brokersin Newark, NJ

“The Simon and Garfunkel Story” is the internationally acclaimed concert-style theater show traversing across the U.S. and it has finally made its way to the East Coast starring two locals.

Two LaGuardia High School graduates and New York natives, Jonah Bobo (Paul Simon) and Brendan Jacob Smith (Art Garfunkel), are making their homecoming at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Friday, March 3, after a stop at Newark’s NJPAC on March 2.

The show tells the story of the folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel, from their humble beginnings as teenagers in New York City to their best-selling musical success and ultimate falling out.

Oddly enough, it was back in 2012 that Bobo and Smith first played these roles opposite each other as teenagers in NYC, when they performed a Simon and Garfunkel medley as freshmen at LaGuardia High School’s “Rising Stars” talent show.

In addition to being the only freshman to have their act in the talent show, they also performed in the same lineup as then-student Timothée Chalamet.

But who would’ve thought they would be performing the same songs a decade later, in a tour that spans 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada? Certainly not them, as Jonah Bobo describes it.

“I didn’t even know that there was a platform like this,” Bobo told the Daily News. “When Brendan sent me the audition for [’The Simon and Garfunkel Story’] a couple years ago, I didn’t know that such tribute shows existed. But when I found out, I felt like it was a match made in heaven,” he added.

Brendan Jacob Smith talks about discovering the show and asking Bobo to get his agent to submit them for an audition as a duo, which he says, at first, was difficult for the producers to grasp.

“It’s normally one person that goes in and auditions,” Smith explained. “But we were like, ‘Hey, we’re us. We do this already.’ They were a little confused by that, they were like ‘Oh no, one at a time please.’”

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But the package deal worked, and now they’re just about halfway through their 50-city tour, which started in January and is set to finish this April in Toronto.

While it’s not the first tour of this kind for either performer, when they hit Brooklyn on Friday it will be the first time they return to their home city to perform.

“I feel like most people I know are gonna be there,” said Smith. “I couldn’t be more excited to have my family and friends see this come full circle. Because a lot of the people that are gonna be there were those who saw us sing this music when we were 15 years old. So it’s going to be really cool for them to see us now.”

In the decade since that first performance, the music hasn’t changed, but their relationship with it has.

“It definitely means something different now,” said Jonah Bobo. “We’re both 25 now, and that was the age they were at when they were recording this music. So it feels appropriate to be stepping into their shoes at this time.”

“People who have grown up with this music are gonna find that the show is a nostalgic rush,” Smith says. “But I think for other people, it’s really important music to hear and experience because it’s so seminal to what harmonies sound like now, and if you listen to the music, you can really hear the influence they had to music that’s made now.”

“Simon and Garfunkel are still alive, but they’re not performing together,” Smith added. “This music needs to live on.”

A US city has scrapped a sister-city agreement with the fictional nation of "Kailasa" that the fugitive godman Nithyananda's outfit claimed was recognized by Washington. "Based on deception, the (sister-city) ceremony was groundless and void," Newark Press Secretary Susan Garofalo said in a message to IANS on Wednesday.

"As soon as we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister-city agreement on January 18," she added. Despite Newark revoking the agreement, the make-believe "government of Kailasa" continues to post it on its website with the claim, "The United States of America recognises the United States of Kailasa (USK) and signs a bilateral agreement."The agreement with Newark was signed on or around January 11 at a ceremony at which Newark's Mayor Ras Baraka and other city leaders were present.

A picture on the "USK" website showed Baraka signing the since revoked agreement with a woman with a turban and a pendant on her forehead and wearing several necklaces while another similarly dressed woman in their trademark attire looked on.

Council Member Luis Quintana, who made the motion to junk the agreement, said, "We cannot bring Sister-Cities International into an issue where there is controversy."

"We cannot put ourselves in a situation where we put a sister-city (agreement with a city) that has no human rights and (is involved) in terms of the issues that are created elsewhere," he added.

The Newark caper illustrates how easy it is for groups to manipulate municipal and state bodies taking advantage of their lack of international sophistication to unwittingly make them appear to confer legitimacy on their causes, even when they are at odds with official US positions.

"USK's" Newark effort was a part of the disinformation campaign claiming legitimacy for the "nation" set up by Nithyananda, who fled India in 2019 while facing charges of rape and abduction.

Last month, two members of "USK" made an appearance at a meeting of a United Nations panel in Geneva when the session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on sustainable development opened up for questions and comments from the audience. One of them injected their claims that Nithyananda was being "persecuted" into her comments. They then created the false impression on social media that "USK" was recognised by the UN.

In January when a UN panel in Geneva asked for comments on the sexual exploitation of children for a report, USK sent in comments that the panel collated along with those of others. USK then claimed that their report was an official UN document.

There have been other instances of cities and states stepping into controversies involving India.

A legendary figure in the world of jazz is gone, but his memory in Essex County – especially his hometown of Newark – won't be forgotten.

Send Flowers, Plants & Gifts

NEWARK, NJ — A legendary figure in the world of jazz has passed away, but his memory in Essex County – particularly his hometown of Newark – will not be forgotten.

Saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter died Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 89. There was no immediate information on the cause, The New York Times reported.

Shorter was born in Newark and graduated from Newark Arts High School.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), which is located in Newark, mourned his death and recounted some of the reasons why he is such a revered musician in the jazz community:

“All of us at NJPAC mourn the passing of jazz legend, Newark native and arguably the best jazz saxophonist in history, Wayne Shorter. The twelve-time Grammy-winning performer and composer redefined the art form — both through his own performances, and his collaborations with Art Blakey, Miles Davis and others — and inspired so many of today’s jazz greats including Herbie Hancock and Christian McBride, with whom he played at the arts center during his last visit here, for our Wayne Shorter Weekend in 2017. In 2022, we were proud to rename a portion of Park Place in front of the arts center as ‘Wayne Shorter Way.’ His artistry will live on forever.”

Jazz House Kids, which is based in Montclair and counts another jazz titan, Christian McBride, among its ranks, also mourned Shorter on social media. The nonprofit wrote:

“Wayne Shorter – The world lost a titan of jazz today and the Jazz House mourns a friend, mentor and supporter. Tributes are pouring in from all over the world about this pioneering saxophonist and composer, but those of us at the Jazz House and our former students lucky enough to be with him at our 10th Anniversary Gala will never forget witnessing a master at work up close, and his kindness, inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians. Our deepest sympathies to his many friends, family and his wife Carolina.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The make-believe "government of Kailasa" on its website claims, "The United States of America recognises the United States of Kailasa (USK)"

New Delhi: Despite a US city scrapping a sister-city agreement with the fictional nation of "Kailasa", the fugitive godman Nithyananda's outfit claimed it was recognized by the US, as per IANS.

After understanding the circumstances, Newark Press Secretary Susan Garofalo said, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the agreement.

"Based on deception, the (sister-city) ceremony was groundless and void," Newark Press Secretary Susan Garofalo said in a message to IANS on Wednesday.

"As soon as we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister-city agreement on January 18," she added.

Even though Newark revoked the agreement, the make-believe "government of Kailasa" continues to post it on its website with the claim, "The United States of America recognises the United States of Kailasa (USK) and signs a bilateral agreement."

The Newark stunt illustrates how easy it is for groups to manipulate municipal and state bodies, and take advantage of their lack of international sophistication to unwittingly make them appear to confer legitimacy on their causes, even when they are at odds with official US positions.

According to the report, "USK's" Newark effort was a part of the disinformation campaign claiming legitimacy for the "nation" set up by Nithyananda, who fled India in 2019 while facing charges of rape and abduction.

Last month, two members of USK appeared at a meeting of a United Nations panel in Geneva.

When the session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on sustainable development opened up for questions and comments from the audience, one of them injected their claims that Nithyananda was being "persecuted" into her comments.

They further created the false impression on social media that "USK" was recognised by the UN.

Similarly, in January, when a UN panel in Geneva asked for comments on the sexual exploitation of children for a report, USK sent in comments that the panel collated along with those of others.

USK then claimed that their report was an official UN document.

The agreement with Newark was signed around January 11 at a ceremony at which Newark's Mayor Ras Baraka and other city leaders were present, IANS reported.

A picture on the "USK" website showed Baraka signing the since revoked agreement with a woman with a turban and a pendant on her forehead and wearing several necklaces while another similarly dressed woman in their trademark attire looked on.

Council Member Luis Quintana, who made the motion to junk the agreement, said, "We cannot bring Sister-Cities International into an issue where there is controversy."

"We cannot put ourselves in a situation where we put a sister-cities (agreement with a city) that has no human rights and (is involved) in terms of the issues that are created elsewhere," he added.

He said, "This oversight cannot happen any longer."

With a population of 307,000, Newark is the largest in New Jersey.

Although New Jersey has the third highest number of Asian-Indians in the US and the most by percentage, their population is minuscule in Newark city compared to other areas of the state.

However, this isn't the first such instance of cities and states stepping into controversies involving India. Last year, the Connecticut General Assembly, influenced by Khalistanis issued a citation "in recognition of the 36th anniversary of the declaration of Sikh independence" while the town of Norwich in the state declared April 29 as the "Sikh Declaration of Independence Day".

NEWARK, N.J. – The Newark City Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of a nationwide Medicare for All program yesterday, sending a strong message of support for ending for-profit health care in favor of a universal system without copays or out-of-pocket costs.

Newark is the 15th municipality in New Jersey to pass a resolution in support of Medicare for All. The effort is being organized by Our Revolution NJ.

The resolution comes after at least 31 municipalities and school boards informed the state government that they had chosen to use private health insurance plans for government workers, abandoning the New Jersey state health benefit plan following a 20% premium increase at the start of the year. The rate hike came on the heels of a rushed vote by the New Jersey Legislature to allow Horizon, the largest insurer in the state and state health plan provider, to restructure into a for-profit entity.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20% of people under age 65 in Newark do not have health insurance.

“Medicare for All represents conscientious policy that is not based on zip code, class, economic status, etc. but is designed for everyone,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who championed the resolution. “Here in Newark, we make sure that the needs of our residents are at the forefront of our initiatives, policies, and legislation through an equitable lens. The passing of today’s resolution affirms our stance and makes clear: Newark will always work to advance the quality of life of its residents and having affordable and adequate healthcare is important to our community.”

“Medical debt represents a crushing weight on many families in our community. Deferring or skipping medical care due to the cost exacerbates the health impacts for individuals, creates higher costs down the road, and in some cases ends in a loved one gone far too soon. Medicare for All also represents a racial justice policy as uninsurance rates in Black and Hispanic communities outpace those of white populations. Here in New Jersey, we have the 47th worst Black maternal mortality rate in the country. Thank you to Mayor Ras Baraka and the Newark City Council for recognizing that Medicare for All is smart policy,” said Matt Dragon, co-chair of Our Revolution Essex County.

“It is absolutely reprehensible that the United States, the richest country in the world, does not have free universal health care when most of the other wealthy nations provide this benefit to their citizens. The People’s Organization For Progress (POP) commends the Newark City Council for passing the Medicare For All Resolution. The Resolution brings us one step closer to making Medicare for All a reality In the U.S. during our lifetime,” stated Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

“This resolution shows that the people of Newark stand strong in their support for universal healthcare and reminds us that municipal leaders see Medicare for All as a common-sense solution to the drain of insurance premiums on municipal budgets,” said Brittany Shannahan, an organizer with the Medicare For All campaign at Public Citizen. “Activists across New Jersey have worked hard to demonstrate the demand for Medicare for All in their state and applaud the support of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (NJ-10) for federal Medicare for All legislation. Hopefully this latest victory in Newark will help persuade Rep. Menendez to join his colleague, Rep. Payne, in support of Medicare for All.”

Newark joins more than 100 other localities nationwide that have called for guaranteed health care for all – regardless of age, race, income, or zip code. Most recently, a proclamation passed in Boulder, Colo. in February, followed by a resolution in Cleveland, Ohio earlier this week.