What is a great event without a patriotic opening? The first “cover” of the night would come from Montclair Police Department’s Stephanie Egnazzo who delivered a mostly A capella take on the most famous from one-hit-wonder Francis Scott Key; a song that we know as “The Star Spangled Banner.” Note that it was mostly A capella, because towards the last two lines, a band in uniform were revealed behind a curtain and awoke the gods of rock in a Jimi Hendrix style salute to our great country. It was nice to see a duet between different police departments, proving that the VPD doesn’t have the only cops who rock. From there, an emcee took over and welcomed one and all to the second annual Cops And Rockers.

Now it was time for the music. At the start of the event, it wasn’t all about the big prize, a day in the recording studios of Verona’s Cat Eyez Studios. (Rocktec Music donated two Dean guitars for the audience raffles and instruments, fog machines and PA equipment for the stage. Amedia, another Verona-based business, donated some of its handmade cymbals and Chris Segarra of Legendery Entertainment was the emcee.) In fact, there were some bands that weren’t competing, and just wanted to share the stage with some local musicians and play in front of the crowd. Two acts; one trio and one solo act, provided the competition-free entertainment to Verona, and certainly did not disappoint.

The first non-competing group was The Incredible Folk featuring VHS sophomore Lucas Freschi on acoustic guitar alongside two older friends on banjo and fiddle. The bluegrass three-piece brought the theater back to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry for some rather impressive picking. The first song was a cover of Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith and Don Reno’s “Feudin’ Banjos” (more commonly known as “Dueling Banjos”) made famous by the 1972 movie Deliverance. The next was one of the most famous country rock songs, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band. Aside from a clutter of technically faulted sound problems, it was pleasant to have some American Roots music to start off the night.

Next was the second non-competing act, VHS senior Wes Ostrander. Wes’ drum cover of Dream Theater’s “Panic Attack” spoke true to the progressive-metal drumming of Mike Portnoy (ex-drummer of Dream Theater), and darkened the mood left by The Incredible Folk. Following a welcoming applause of appreciation for Wes’ way around the drum kit, was one of few constants of the night: polls. Yes, MyVeronaNJ.com provided the surveys that appeared on the rounded wall stage-left. If you were in attendance and were in possession of a cell phone that has text-messaging capabilities (and if not, get with the times), you were able to participate in the polling. Some questions were more important than others, like “what kind of music do you like,” would be deemed unimportant in comparison to voting for the band of your choice.

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Following a power outage, last year’s first place band took the stage in hopes to bring home the title once more. Fusion is made up of Austin Williams, Steve Wynen, Andrew Capuano, Nick Celfo and Ryan Yeates, who all attend VHSl. It was clear that Fusion had matured since winning last year’s contest. Vocalist Austin Williams seemed much more comfortable onstage and managed to translate his naturally theatrical voice into a post-punk/pop-rock style. The stringed aspect of the band all seemed to carry themselves at an appropriate pace, while drummer Ryan Yeates interpreted the drum parts very well, which contributed to a positive performance overall. They  performed their original with lyrics written by Ryan Yeates, “I Want To Be” and covers of Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem”, “Dying in your Arms” by Trivium, and “Monkey Wrench” from the Foo Fighters.

The next band was the first and only competing band without any VHS students in the group. Nonetheless, NaH shook the stage with a jagged grunge sound and held their own in the midst of bands that also played similar styles of music. Consisting of Ben Shooter, RJ Challice, and Zach Thomas, the Little Falls natives performed an original inspired by Guns n’ Roses entitled “The Best of You,” proving to be one of the stronger originals of the night. Their covers were Monster Magnet’s “Monolithic” and “The Time Warp”, from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the latter of which got many singing and grooving along.

Up next was The Loop, displaying VHS alumni, current students, and future students. This group, like Fusion, is a staple of the current Verona youth music scene. They’ve performed a few times in the past year and have built a little bit of a fan base that made their presence known during their Cops & Rockers performance. The set began with a cover of Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock And Roll”. Band members Theresa Courter, Joey and Nick Fierro, Chris Ehrich and Chris Buneo packed a punch with their ability to cover a song and lay it down with tight execution. “Drowning in Reality”, written by vocalist Theresa Courter, was an impressive original, with lyrics dealing discussing her first semester in college. The remaining songs were “The Ocean” (Led Zeppelin) and a pop-goes-punk approach at Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

Totally unexpected was an appearance by Patti Labelle’s drummer Segdrick Marsh. Though the sound system largely failed him, Segdrick managed to display his talents with a song, followed by an explanation and apology as to why he couldn’t carry on. His offer to return in the future should be embraced by those in charge, as it was great to a professional take the reins and show his skills.

Maybe the most talented and the darkest act of the night, was black-metal band Angmar. Yes, they’re referencing the home of the witch king in the Lord Of The Rings. The long-hair rockers made their way back after last year’s equally stellar Cops & Rockers performance, and once again they managed to leave the crowds’ jaws wide open after they performed all three originals “Fallen, Forgotten,” “As Shadows Rise,” and “Tiamat.” Band members Conor Lawless, Brian Fong, Tyler Butkovsky and Ryan Cardoza play music that requires so much precision, and they carry it out with ease. They will bring out the heavy metal in us all and have you swinging your hair along to the music.

Moving forward was something also completely different. Feux Johnny is made up of Giancarlo Cordasco, Alex Campbell and Patrick Cichetti. This group, like Angmar had such a different sound that it really got the audience’s attention. Playing in the style of California Funk a la The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Feux Johnny covered “Can’t Stop” and “Hump De Bump” from the legendary Chili Peppers, sandwiched in between “Mrs. Cooper” (an original) and ending with Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”. The comfortable and energetic stage presence and musicianship held true to the eventual crowd reaction. It was looking good for this out-of-nowhere ban when it came to results.

Showing the love of music and how close some of the bands are, bassist Nick Celfo made his second appearance of the night, this time with Where Eagles Dare, alongside Isaac Rubins, Dom Gagliano and Mike Basil. This band’s second Cops And Rockers featured two originals, “Lunch Break”, written by Isaac Rubins and a follow-up to a song from last year’s Cops & Rockers, “Bathroom Break”. They did sweet renditions of Metallica’s “Am I Evil”, and “No Remorse”. Probably the most impressive though, was a great approach at “A Passage to Bangkok” from Rush, which was the most musically demanding song all night.

To close out the contest part of the night, came Leo’s Arrow. Evan Yee, Mike Bartell, Matt Bartell, Patrick Sullivan and Torsten Kolind bring a twisted indie-rock sound to the table, and put on an energetic performance even with Evan Yee suffering from a lost voice due to previous illness in the week. Their original was “Home”, built around a guitar lick from Mike Bartell, giving a little insight into the songwriting process for this particular band. They covered Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy”, The Flo Bots’ “Handlebars”, and “Dammit” from Blink 182.

As the night was coming near the end, it was time for the results. It was clear that every band gave it their own, and some had it together more than others did. However, it was all about the love of music and how it can provide a safe lifestyle and occupation of time for the youth, which face more and more pressure to get involved in the world of drugs and mischief. As it was announced, the crowd cheered for Feux Johnny, who came in first overall.

But wait that wasn’t all. Like last year, the final band put the “cops” in Cops and Rockers. A musical squad of Det/Sgt. (VPD) Dan Greco on guitar, Sgt. (Montclair PD) Stephanie Egnezzo and Special Deputy (VPD) Gerard DiNola on vocals, retired Sgt. (VPD) Marty Santuoso on drums, and Special Deputy (VPD) Pat Filoso on bass delivered a set that laid the law on the final moments of the show. They performed songs like The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Night, all in good fun.

Aside from the technical difficulties, the night was rather successful as far as turnout, performances, and behavior was concerned. In the words of the Grateful Dead, “One good ride from start to end, I’d like to take that ride again.”

Tyler Curtis attends VHS and is the author of The Shakedown Blog.

Photos © Fred Goode Productions. All rights reserved.

The car clipped a tree and a sign just past Mountain Auto Body (Photo by Bill Neal).

There’s been another rollover accident on the eastern end of Bloomfield Avenue. This one occurred Friday morning at about 2:15 a.m.

The car was traveling east on Bloomfield and veered off the roadway into the rocks just past Mountain Auto Body, in between Pompton and Sunset avenues. The car rolled over onto its side and came to rest between a utility pole and sign. Of the three people in the car, two needed to be taken to hospitals for their injuries; the third person did not need to go to the hospital.

The Verona Police, Verona Rescue Squad, VRS Heavy Rescue unit and Verona Fire Department were all on the scene. The Heavy Rescue team used a chain saw to remove a tree that was wedged under the vehicle so that the tow truck operator could remove the car, and VFD Engine 11 deployed a hose for protection against a fuel leak or sparks.

It was the third serious accident on this section of Bloomfield Avenue in the last two weeks and the second overturned vehicle here.

The Fire Department deployed a hose in case a fuel leak led to a fire (Photo by Bill Neal).

But there are other basics, too. Whatever the increase, the rate of crime in Verona remains well below that of most other towns in Essex County. And the recent spike in burglaries–61 in all categories of burglaries last year–here pales in comparison to one year in the early 1980s when a group that included several Verona High School students notched up 120 break-ins in one 12-month period.

News of any sort–good or bad–tends to travel a whole lot faster now. Even before the Verona Police Department’s RSS feed gets pushed out to this site (check the bottom right corner of the home page), many of the elements have already made their way around town through cell phones, Facebook and Twitter. When it’s news that a neighbor’s house or car has been broken into, it seems to travel even faster, amplifying its impact on our psyche.

From 2009 to 2011, Verona had one murder, the killing of attendant Daniel Pritchard at the Sunoco gas station on Pompton. That kind of crime leaps out in western Essex County because it is so rare. While Newark had 80 murders in 2009 and 91 in 2010 (the State Police have not yet released the crime statistics for 2011), there were no murders in any of the towns that immediately surround us in the last three years. In 2009 and 2011, Verona had just two robberies (the taking of something from a person by force); in 2010 there was one. Simple assaults, a crime category in which the victim fears violence but none happens, have fallen from 27 to 18 from 2009 to 2011.

But this is not the kind of crime that most people in Verona think about, or fear. We worry about burglary and car theft, and both categories have seen an increase.  In 2011, according to the Verona Police Department, we had 61 burglaries in all categories (attempted forcible entry, unlawful entry  and forcible entry), up from 24 in 2010 and 27 in 2009.  Larceny–the kind of crime that occurs when your lawn mower disappears from your yard or the cash you left in your car goes missing–rose from 76 in 2009 to 81 in 2010 and 105 in 2011. But actual car thefts have spiked, too. They rose from just two in 2009, to eight in 2010 and 18 last year.

While the crummy economy may be driving this, there may be other factors at work: A car theft task force that included law enforcement members from Essex and Union counties was disbanded by budget cuts during the recession. And too often, we don’t take the simple precautions that  could foil thieves. We leave our cars unlocked and our house keys in predictable places. (We’re not alone. Just this week, two luxury cars were stolen in Cedar Grove after their owners left them unlocked and idling.)

So crime in Verona in certain categories is up. That’s serious, yes, but a fraction what’s been going on around us. While the crime reports compiled by the State Police note  just 24 burglaries in Verona in 2010, Cedar Grove had 20,  Livingston had 47, Millburn had 55, West Orange had 131 and Montclair had 184. Newark had 1,955.

Here’s something else to keep in mind. Overall crime across Essex County has been falling for more than a decade. While the total crime rate (crimes per 1,000 residents) was 18.2 in Verona in 1996, it had fallen to 8.9 in 2010. In Cedar Grove, the rate fell from 28.5 to 11.0, and Montclair dropped from 54.3 to 19.4.  Even Newark dropped, from 134.1 to 47.6.

And if there is an upside to crime, it is this: Verona is being more vigilant. When a group of men flashing FBI identification showed up on Hillside Avenue on Tuesday afternoon asking questions about “foreigners” in the area, residents called the Verona Police. No, we still don’t know why they were there. The Newark office of the FBI has not responded to our phone call or e-mail.

Apparently, an early morning crash toppled a utility pole across Bloomfield Avenue in the vicinity of Mountain Auto Body and Don Johnston’s Subway sandwich place. Traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction while crews replace the damaged pole.

The police are asking you to plan an alternate travel route if possible today because the traffic mess at the intersection is likely to last well into the afternoon. If you’ve got to go that way, you’re going to have to expect delays. No word on what happened to anybody in the crash that caused the whole thing.

According to Chief Doug Huber, sometime between noon and 6:30 p.m., three different sets of car keys were removed from the locker room at the Pilgrim Plaza gym. The police believe that the thieves used the car finder button on the remotes to locate cars. In two of the three cases, the keys were brought back to the gym and placed back in coat pockets.

A 2011  Mercedes Benz was entered, and credit cards and what police described as a “sizeable” amount of cash was taken. A small amount of cash and a debit card were taken from a 2005 Ford. A 2009 Jeep was also entered and the keys were not not returned.

Huber said the police, who believe that more than one person was involved in the thefts, are currently reviewing videos at the gym, as well as checking credit card usage at Willowbrook Mall and at stores along Route 46. They are also talking to law enforcement in Morris County, where similar break-ins have occurred.

The announcement came just about two weeks after the VPD nabbed Andrew Goldberg, a suspect in three burglaries in town. “We’re making progress,” Huber said. “People are getting arrested.”

But Huber reminded the Council that residents can thwart car crime simply by remembering to lock their car’s doors when they park it. Huber said that 80% of the cars involved in the thefts and break-ins had been unlocked and he noted that car thieves often assume that an unlocked car means that a home’s back door is unlocked and double their criminal efforts.

Despite the arrests, Huber asked that residents remain vigilant. “If you see something that doesn’t look right, let us know.” In addition to 9-1-1, the public can also use the non-emergency VPD number, 973-239-5000.

Matthew Muccia was placed under arrest and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Bail was set at $15,000 and posted, and Muccia was later released.

The stabbing occurred at 1:55 a.m. outside the Erie Saloon on Depot Square apparently after an argument involving the Verona teen, whose identity has not been disclosed in the police report.  In daylight, the Montclair police recovered a knife, which apparently led them to Muccia.

The training session, called the Community College Citizen Preparedness Program (3CP2), is free. It consists of two hours of instruction on threat awareness and assessment; sheltering and evacuation; and recovery and resources. This training is open to all residents and their families, businesses, community organizations, civic groups and anyone else interested in becoming better prepared during a disaster.

Given the recent weather events, how many of us prepared a “jump bag” or “go kit” that was at the ready if we needed to evacuate our home? Did we know what to bring with us, and, perhaps equally important, what to leave behind?

This training will teach participants how to identify threats that affect you, your family, and community. Participants will be better prepared to function for 72 hours during a disaster without first responder assistance by being able to access and share appropriate information and training.

This program is made possible through the cooperation of the Essex County College Police Academy.

To register for this free program, please e-mail your name and telephone number to pacademy@essex.edu, or call 973-877-4350.

According to Chief Doug Huber, at about 3:52 p.m., the Verona Police got a call that an alarm had gone off. Several cars were dispatched to the home and Officer Tim Banta observed a white male walking in the area and stopped him for questioning. The officers on the scene reported a shattered glass door at the house and relayed the information to Officer Banta and Officer Robert Shafer, who was assisting him. Shafer observed glass on the man, and the officers called for the Essex County canine unit. The dog sniffed the scene and went directly down the block to where the man, who had burglary tools on his person, was being questioned.

The police arrested Andrew Goldberg, who is also known as Anthony Martinelli, 51, a Newark resident with no fixed address. The police say they were able to connect Goldberg/Martinelli with two other burglaries that have occurred in Verona in the last month. He was charged with three counts of burglary, two counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of possession of burglary tools and one count of drug paraphernalia.

Goldberg/Martinelli, who police say has been convicted of 12 previous felonies including several burglaries over the past 10 years, is currently being held in the Essex County jail in Newark on $150,000 bail.

Huber praised the officers involved in the incident. “Catching burglars is very difficult,” he said. “Lieutenant Chris Kiernan cordoned off the area, and the officers did everything the right way.” Huber also gave credit to the squad’s civilian dispatcher Carol Devlin, who dispatched the police from one line while the alarm report was still coming in on another. “She did a great job,” said Huber. “She got the guys to the house in less than two minutes.”