Is There Crime or Not?: Part Two
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

 

 

By Tammy Duffy

 

 

 

 

 

In January 2015, Duffy's  Cultural Couture wrote a column, Is There Crime or Not? as a direct result of a press release sent out by the Hamilton township leadership. (link to Duffy's original article is below

http://www.tammyduffy.com/ARTFASHION/index.blog?start=1422147900&topic_id=1130212

 

This week again, as a direct result of a demonstration in front of the municipal building, focused on crime, the same press release was sent out again.  This press release touted," Hamilton has the lowest crime since 1977." 

(see link : http://www.hamiltonnj.com/featured/?FeedID=1178)

 

The Hamilton Township Police department also recently released a report (http://hamiltonnj.com/filestorage/228428/228430/229525/252291/Police_Division_2014_Annual_Report.pdf).  In their report, The Hamilton Township Police department demonstrated the following:

 

Total Summonses: 2014 --- 8110 and in  2013 --- 7369

Total ARRESTS: In 2014: 3393 arrests

Total ARRESTS In 2013: 3355 arrests

CONFIRMED SHOOTING INCIDENTS: In 2014: 8 shootings and in 2013: there were 12 shootings.

 

However, the statistics are not adding up to the lowest since 1977 as the Mayor is stating nor what is demonstrated on the recent crime reports from the state.  The old saying, "Garbage in = Garbage out" seems to be the strategy utilized by the Hamilton township leadership when developing their crime reports.  The FBI and NJ State Police Data only goes back to 1989. We seriously doubt the township of Hamilton has their data from 1977-1989. We have been to their records department, its a disaster.

 

In 2014, the report states there were only 9 robberies in 2014 in Hamilton. Just nine? Down from the double digits demonstrated since 1989.  

 

See All the data since 1989 below for Hamilton Township. 

 

 

Hamilton Township Crime Data: Source Nj State Police Reports
Year	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
Crime index total	3019	2801	2916	2794	2678	2411	2605	2445	2147
Violent crime	130	137	135	132	115	151	165	147	157
Non Violent Crime	2889	2664	2781	2662	2563	2260	2460	2298	1990
Murder	1	3	0	0	1	2	3	0	1
RAPE	5	2	2	6	5	15	15	14	9
Robbery	67	80	80	77	64	68	75	67	70
Aggravated Assault	57	52	52	49	45	60	72	66	70
Hamilton Township Crime Data: Source Nj State Police Reports
Year	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Crime index total	2151	2080	2373	2624	2260	1882	1904	1876	125
Violent crime	139	150	161	169	158	118	162	172	17
Non Violent Crime	2012	1930	2212	2455	2102	1764	1742	1704	108
Murder	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	2	0
RAPE	3	3	3	7	7	3	7	9	3
Robbery	65	93	89	99	89	77	83	93	6
Aggravated Assault	71	54	68	62	61	37	72	68	8
Hamilton Township Crime Data: Source Nj State Police Reports
Year	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Crime index total	1925	2083	1922	2076	2015	2189	2073	1039	868
Violent crime	198	177	208	189	186	199	190	90	91
Non Violent Crime	1737	1906	1714	1886	1829	1998	1883	949	777
Murder	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0
RAPE	8	9	10	3	10	8	4	9	9
Robbery	103	93	107	101	82	100	78	9	35
Aggravated Assault	87	74	91	83	95	81	103	28	47

 

In 2013, there were 0 rapes in Hamilton. In 2014, there were 4 and in 2015, year to date, there have been 9.  This is not representative of a decrease in rape in the township. Does rape not matter or count as a crime by the township leadership?

 

In 2013, there were 78 robberies in Hamilton. In 2014, there were 9 according to the report submitted by township officials, and in 2015, there have been 35 thus far. Again, not representative of a decrease in robberies in the township. Do robberies not matter or count as a crime by the township leadership?

  

In 2013, there were 102 aggravated assaults. In 2014, there were 28 according to the report submitted by township officials. In 2015, there have been 47 thus far. Again, not a representation of a decrease in aggravated assault. Does aggravated assault not matter or count as a crime by the township leadership?

 

 

Effective law enforcement requires accurate crime statistics in order to identify the extent, type, and location of criminal activity. Criminal Justice administrators and planners have long recognized the Uniform Crime Reporting Program as the vehicle to accomplish this objective. The success of the Uniform Crime Reporting System cannot be realized without the cooperation extended by each of the 542 law enforcement agencies of the State, the New Jersey Chiefs of Police Association, and the County Prosecutors Association. It is in the interest of more effective law enforcement to the eight million residents of New Jersey that accurate data be submitted. Falsifying a report, especially in conjunction with an election year, is just criminal.

 

 Source for data in article: http://www.njsp.org/info/stats.html

Trevor Wheatley: graffiti artist turned multimedia artist
Topic: ART NEWS

 

Trevor Wheatley:

Graffiti artist turned multimedia artist 

 

 

                 

 Trevor Wheatley has a way of turning language on its head. His recent public pieces—gigantic typography installations that poke fun at popular culture—have earned him a devoted Instagram following, attention from bigtime design magazines, corporate partnerships with brands like Stussy, and high-profile commissions (including a super-secret piece for the first Wayhome festival outside of Toronto, Ontario). It proves the young multimedia artist is making work that speaks to people—both literally and figuratively.

As a young kid, Wheatley gravitated toward graffiti. Though it was mainly because of how accessible it was, the hobby got him into art school, where his focus shifted to studio work. According to Wheatley, he fits the typical cliché of graff-kid-turned-studio-artist. But unlike some of his peers, he still embraces his graffiti roots: “A lot of graffiti writers who now make studio work don’t acknowledge their past. They think that narrative is something that will bring them down,” he told us. Now, he spends most of his time in an industrial building in downtown Toronto that he shares with his collaborator Cosmo Dean, working on public commissions and contemporary work for galleries. “It’s a 3,000-square-foot dungeon, and I love it.”

 

 

 

 

His public installations started with a commercial edge: “The idea was to critique the place of advertising in the public sphere and construct a hypothetical space where commercial symbols might be neutralized as corporate signifiers.” To Wheatley, the ultimate neutralizing factor is nature, something he learned while travelling in Cuba. “The projects we shot there were all about branding and how its power can be stripped or inverted by creating non-commissioned ads.” By taking commercial logos far away from their typical habitat (i.e. urban spaces), he encouraged viewers to reflect on their relationship with the text. For example, a gigantic Nike logo made of wood scraps, suspended in a barren countryside elicits a completely different emotion than the swoosh on a city billboard. “Cities have a lot of visual noise—my work in visually competitive spaces wouldn’t create the same interruption that it does in nature,” he notes. Ironically, it was after seeing this work that brands like Stussy started commissioning Wheatley to create his own interpretations of their logos.

 

His recent personal projects—sculptures that read things like SQUAD, BLESS, DIME and FRESH—are a cheeky ode to pop culture and our Urban Dictionary era. In addition to being visually stunning and intricate, there’s still a sense of playful contrast: “The pieces juxtapose the urban with the natural through a physical realization of slang, trend and the re-contextualization of popular language. I generally have some sense of how the piece will react to the location.” For instance, carving FRESH out of ice on a beach was an obvious way to access various levels of meaning. Others, like BLESS suspended over waterfall or SQUAD hanging among fall leaves, were left to the observer to ponder. Interestingly, how the installations decompose is almost of equal importance to Wheatley. “It’s been fascinating to see how the materials age and degrade and become part of the landscape over time.” Wheatley is quick to note that he only leaves behind materials that won’t harm the environment—he’s had an intense respect for nature ever since spending childhood summers at a camp near Sudbury.

 

 

 

 

 

Working in the wilderness gives Wheatley a way to control the viewer’s interpretation, but his shoots also rely on nature’s unpredictability. Even with months of planning, his team (which usually consists of Dean and a few other collaborators) is always prepared to welcome the unexpected—like inquisitive horses in the countryside or a torrential downpour. “Weather never dictates the date of a shoot,” he explains. In fact, bad weather can actually make for an even more interesting outcome. When his team shot SNITCH, they were hoping for a calm winter day, but instead got a gusty blizzard. Wheatley ended up wading knee-deep in a stream and almost freezing to death. “The photos came out icy and violent but better than we could ever have hoped.” It’s a testament to his adventurous spirit, and willingness to get a little dirty (or cold and wet), for his work.

 

 

 

 

Despite a strong Instagram presence, Wheatley is cautious about social media—especially the pressure to cater to your fans. “I know what kind of work will be received well on social media, so I try not to let that affect what I do too much.” It’s not surprising then, that he and his partner Cosmo Dean are planning to venture in a completely different direction for an upcoming show this fall—“it won’t be text-based,” he reveals. But blazing new trails comes naturally to the artist, and his fearless attitude keeps fans excited for whatever’s coming next: “As Cosmo and I like to say whenever we agree on an idea: ‘let’s get it.’”

Walking To the Sky
Topic: ART NEWS

 

Award-Winning Scream Machines Take Center Stage on National Coaster Day August 16
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

“Our coasters rank among the best in the world, so what better place to celebrate roller coasters than at the world’s largest theme park,” said Park President John Fitzgerald.

 

From extreme, record-breaking heights and speeds to high tech and hybrid, Great Adventure’s coaster collection is also one of the most diverse on the planet, Fitzgerald said. The park’s roller coasters are continually recognized by reputable travel, news and amusement industry publications. Several of the most recent accolades include:

 

·         El Toro

o   No. 1 wooden coaster in the world by Theme Park Insider 2015

o   Top 10 Best Roller Coasters by USA Today and 10 Best 2015

o   No. 1 Best Wooden Coaster by Mitch Hawker’s Internet Poll 2012 - 2014

o   No. 2 Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Best Wooden Coaster in the World 2014

 

·         El Diablo named Best Roller Coaster 2015 by Philadelphia Magazine

·         Kingda Ka

o   No. 2 Best Thrill Ride by NJ.com 2015

o   Top 7 Theme Park Wonders of the World by Orbitz 2015

o   Tallest Roller Coaster in the World 2005-2015

·         Nitro

o   No. 1 Best Thrill Ride by NJ.com 2015

o   No. 5 Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Best Steel Coaster in the World 2014

 

·         BIZARRO, GREEN LANTERN and Runaway Train named Top 10 Best Thrill Rides by NJ.com 2015

 

In celebration of National Coaster Day, Six Flags Great Adventure will host a fiesta in Plaza del Carnaval, a Mexican-themed section that features the intense, hybrid wooden coaster El Toro and the looping thrills of the new El Diablo. Special activities also include coaster trivia and prizes, a live DJ and Latin dance lessons outside the new Macho Nacho cantina which will offer special deals for its grand opening.

 

 Fans can vote for Kingda Ka as “Boldest Coaster” and enter to win a VIP trip atwww.sixflags.com/BoldestSweeps

FREE Bike Ride Event
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

 

 

LAWRENCE HOPEWELL TRAIL & MERCER COUNTY PARKS COMMISSION TO HOST

 

2nd ANNUAL FULL MOON RIDE

Nighttime bike ride set for Sunday, August 29, at Mercer Meadows

 What:                  FULL MOON BIKE RIDE

When:                 Saturday, August 29.  Check in and ride at 9 p.m.

Where:               Start and end at the parking lot at Rosedale Lake in Mercer Meadows, Hopewell

Charge:              The only “charge” is to have fun, although donations are welcome to support LHT activities

 

(Hopewell, N.J.) – After the sun sets on Saturday, August 29, a full moon will provide illumination as bicyclists ride along Rosedale Lake, through meadows and under the tree canopy in wooded sections of Mercer Meadows in Hopewell Township. They will be participating in the second annual Super Moon Bike Ride at Mercer Meadows, sponsored by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail and Mercer County Park Commission.

All riders aged 12 and up are invited to participate in the six-mile loop along the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, the Maidenhead Trail and the Twin Pines Trail. The ride, expected to take about 45 minutes, is free to all, although donations are greatly appreciated. Advanced registration for every rider in the family is highly recommended at www.lhtrail.org.

 

Go to this link below to Register for this FREE event

 

 http://lhtrail.org/2015/08/lawrence-hopewell-trail-mercer-county-parks-commission-to-host-2nd-annual-full-moon-ride/

 

It's Time For The Talk

 

 

 

 

This was the statement made by a parent at a grief support meeting. His voice was calm and steady as he explains what sounds so terrible coming from the mouth of a parent, but everyone listening to him in a small multi-purpose room at a high school in Bristol Township.

 

 

This parent loved his daughter, just as the other parents in the room loved their daughters and their sons. But his child was gone long before she died. He is not glad for the death of the little gymnast who flipped fearlessly across a balance beam, he’s glad the 34-year-old drug addict she became isn’t struggling anymore. He’s glad that, because she’s dead, he doesn’t have to spend any more days fearing she’ll die.

 

 

He’s telling his story to members of GRASP — Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing — a twice monthly meeting of grieving family in the Pro-Act offices on Veterans Highway.

 

It's time you spoke to you kids about heroin,  don't ignore this epidemic.

 

 

Retired Hamilton Police Officer Kidnaps Dogs
Topic: COMMUNITY INTEREST

New Doors for the Princeton Art Museum
Topic: ART NEWS

 

New Doors for the Princeton Art Museum

 

 

 

The Museum’s front lawn has been home to a number of compelling works of art, from Pablo Picasso’s Head of a Woman to Magdalena Abakanowicz’s Big Figures to such short-term installations as Doug Aitken’s migration (empire) and, most recently, two remarkable sculptures by Alexander Calder. Now the lawn is poised to receive a new commission designed especially for the site by Doug and Mike Starn. Working from their studio in Beacon, New York, the Starns—twin brothers who are among the most powerful sculptors working today—have designed a monumental glass and steel sculpture in response to Princeton’s arboretum-like campus. Featuring eighteen-foot-tall panels of extraordinary color made in a new glass-dyeing technique pioneered in Germany, the work is scheduled for an early summer installation. Watch the Museum’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for progress. 

This important new commission will join Princeton’s landmark collection of public art and has been made possible by the exceptional generosity of Shelly Belfer Malkin, Class of 1986, and Anthony E. Malkin, and by the John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Fund. 

 

 

Hunterdon Art Museum Social
Topic: ART NEWS

What is Victoria Secret's Real Secret?
Topic: FASHION NEWS

 

What is Victoria Secret's Real Secret? 

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond’s homage to the boudoir was all about seduction, with dark wood and red velvet sofas and silk drapes featuring heavily in the décor. However, the real genius in his idea was not the marketing to men – that actually proved the business’s downfall, more of which later – but the attempt to provide something in the middle of either joyless, functional underwear and pieces only fit for a wedding night.

 

At the time, such a compromise did not exist and Victoria’s Secret changed that, bringing flirty bras and delicate lace thongs in a rainbow of colours to a newly sexually liberated generation who were more than happy to invest in fun, pretty pieces that only a few people (you would hope) would ever see.

Raymond launched a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, which in pre-Internet days went down very well, and allowed the brand to reach customers across America. By 1982, he had opened another three stores in the Bay Area and the company was making more than $4m in annual sales.

And yet he was reportedly nearing bankruptcy. In marketing only to men, Raymond forgot the basic principle that most of a women’s underwear drawer will be purchased by her and not her other half. And as has been proved time and time again, men will never completely understand such female items, like when Dolce and Gabbana expressed their confusion at women's refusal to wear shape-correcting corsets all the time. (Dolce also added that: 'For me, it is impossible to see a woman in flat shoes' – try running in them, Domenico…). Alienating the main consumers of women’s underwear, i.e. women, was probably not the most sensible idea, and in 1982, Raymond sold the company to sportswear mogul Leslie Wexner for around $1m.

Wexner quickly set about correcting the mistake, while keeping the ‘English’ vibe that always goes down well over the pond (even setting up the home address as No. 10 Margaret Street – despite the headquarters being located in Ohio). His aim was to bring a touch of Anglo-Saxon class to the underwear drawers of the average American women. He toned down the catalogue so that it appealed to women as much as it did to their husbands, and cleansed the stores of the dark woods and plush sofas, replacing them with chintzy floral prints, gilded perfume bottles and neatly hung pieces in soft, flattering lighting.

 

Wexner’s hunch paid off. By 1995 when the brand launched its now iconic catwalk shows, featuring supermodels including Helena Christiansen and Tyra Banks, Victoria’s Secret had become a $1.9bn company, with 670 stores across the US. Today the brand control a huge 35pc of America’s lingerie market (according to Forbes), with sales over $6.6bn in 2013.

Sadly, despite his original foresight, Raymond did not share in this success. After staying on as president for a year, he left to form another retail and catalogue company, this time in children’s clothes. His brand My Child’s Destiny was declared bankrupt within two years, leaving Raymond personally liable for its debts.

 

 The Raymonds lost two homes and their cars. In 1993, after another failed business attempt – this time a children's bookshop – the couple divorced. In August that year, Roy Raymond jumped to his death from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. 

 

As far as Victoria's Secret went, Raymond’s instinct was spot on, but his implementation lacked the understanding of his successor, leaving him to become a cautionary tale for entrepreneurs. However, his legacy lives on: thanks to Raymond, right now there are several of the world’s highest paid supermodel’s preparing to strut down a catwalk in little more than feathers and Swarovski crystals alongside Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande in a televised production that draws in almost 10 million viewers globally.

 

 In 2017, it will mark the 40th anniversary for Victoria Secrets. One can only hope they create a new line that has RR initialed in it somewhere to bring homage to the man who started it all in 1977, Roy Raymond.