Double homicide in JC
On Tuesday, the fourth and fifth homicides in Jersey City this year occurred after two young men were killed on Woodlawn Avenue.
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said when police arrived they found Malique Richardson, 17, and Lester Thompson, 26, dead and lying face-down on the ground. Both men, believed to be cousins, lived in the same home on Van Nostrand Avenue.
DFazio said the young men were both shot numerous times. DeFazio said Thompson was killed by a shot to the head, and Richardson died from a shot to the face.
DeFazio said a “precise motive” had not been established. But he said money was taken from both men. DeFazio said it has not been established why the two men were at that location that morning.
He added that investigators are looking to see if the murders are connected to the murders of several other young men that occurred over the last year.
DeFazio said there are no suspects presently and the investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and Jersey City police continues.
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Unit at (201) 915-1345.
‘Lincoln’s bloody flag’ highlight of annual Lincoln Association celebration
The Lincoln Association of Jersey City will be showcasing “Lincoln’s Bloody Flag” at their 145th Dinner celebration on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Casino in the Park Restaurant in Lincoln Park in Jersey City. This year’s celebration marks the end of the 200th Anniversary Year of President Abraham Lincoln’s Birth.
The keynote speaker of the evening will be Jersey City native and noted historian Thomas Fleming.
The flag in question was used to prop President Lincoln’s head and stem the bleeding the evening he was shot by John Wilkes Booth in April 1865. Stained with Lincoln’s blood, this famous flag permanently resides at the Pike County Historical Society in Milford, Pa. But it will be making a special trip to Jersey City.
Performing that evening will be Jacqueline Kroschell, the only singer endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for Abraham Lincoln’s 200th Birthday Celebration. Lincoln scholar Dr. Jules Ladenheim will do his recitation of Lincoln’s letter to Mrs. Bixby, who Lincoln learned had lost five sons in the Civil War. The Dominos of St. Dominic’s Academy, a renowned female choral group, will also perform several musical numbers to end the ceremony.
Also each year on the day of the celebration, beginning at noon, a wreath is laid on the Lincoln Statue at the park’s entrance on Kennedy Blvd.
The Lincoln Association of Jersey City, founded in 1867, continues to honor and preserve the memory of the 16th president of the United States and to explore the many nuances of the man and the politician at the annual dinner, with speakers drawn from various disciplines.
Tickets for the dinner are $60 in advance or $70 at the door. They include entry to the exhibit, dinner and the evening’s entertainment and there is a cash bar. Advance tickets can be purchased from association president Suzann McKiernan Anderson by emailing khgallery@aol.com or calling (201) 892-3123.
Valentine’s Day cat adoption event
Companion Animal Trust, a non profit animal welfare organization located in Jersey City, will hold a special Valentine’s Day “All They Need is Love” cat adoption event in downtown Jersey City.
The public is invited to come and adopt a homeless cat on Sunday, Feb. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Grassroots Community Space, 54 Coles St. at the corner of Third Street.
The first adopter will receive a free box of chocolates. An adoption fee does apply. All cats are spayed or neutered and vaccinated. For more information, call (201) 884-9649.
JC Girl Scouts doing table sale
Girl Scout Troop 1-2016 of Jersey City is holding a Girl Scout Cookie table sale on the weekend of Feb. 20-21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the A&P (14th Street and Marin Blvd., next to the Best Buy store.) All of the old favorites are available and are $4 a box. The troop will also be collecting food for the food pantry in Hoboken. For more information, contact Sylvia at: GSLeaderSylvia@yahoo.com.
Correction
All of the photos last week that appeared with a story on tax protests at the Jersey City council meeting were taken by Rich McCormick.