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Jamil and Jamal Merrell, sophomore twins on the Rutgers football team, started the past two games together as members of Greg Schiano’s defensive unit.
Republican challengers fall short in district vote
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
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JEFFREY LAZARO
Two men at the Middlesex County Republican Organization event in Edison check on poll results last night where various Republican candidates lost their elections.
Democratic candidates hold onto NJ Legislative seats in Middlesex BY ALEKSI TZATZEV ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
EDISON — All three District 17 Democrats celebrated victories over their Republican challengers at a late night Middlesex County Democratic Organization event. Sen. Bob Smith alongside Assemblymen Upendra Chivukula and Joseph Egan — all incumbents — won back their seats yesterday in the N.J. Legislature. Early poll results for all three showed them as leaders and nothing changed as of ficial numbers were released.
“We have to look at the bigger picture — Democrats in Middlesex Countr y crushed the Republicans,” Smith said. He said labor unions were on their side as well as successful campaigning over the past several months. “Look at these great campaigns, adver tisements,” Smith said. “We crushed them.” Smith, Egan and Chivukula each took decisive victories in their races, with all three capturing at least 60 percent of 13,852 votes. Smith alone had 65 percent of votes at 67 percent of precincts reporting, according to nj.com.
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STANDING UNITED
INDEX UNIVERSITY A professor’s research and findings might prevent brain damage after a stoke.
OPINIONS Two high schools in Virginia Beach are paying their students cash for good grades.
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U. considers remobilizing grease trucks BY MARY DIDUCH
BY ANASTASIA MILLICKER EDISON — As Jordan Rickards waited for the results of the senatorial election for the third time in his political career, he said he was not ner vous but content with his campaigning process. “Can’t do anything now, just need to see how the voters vote,” said Rickards in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Edison. “We did ever ything we could.” When the numbers flashed on the pull-down projector screen, Rickards only earned 35 percent of the counted votes while Democratic incumbent Bob Smith had 65 percent, winning the N.J. Senate chair for District 17. But Rickards was not the only one to walk away disappointed. Republican Assembly candidates Carlo DiLalla and Rober t Mettler also fell to Democratic Assembly incumbents Upendra Chivukula and Joseph Egan. DiLalla gained 18 percent of votes — 8,363 votes, according to nj.com. Mettler also won 19 percent of the votes with 8,603 votes. But both fell to incumbents, with Egan having 32
NOVEMBER 9, 2011
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Incumbents remain
WEDNESDAY
CONOR ALWELL / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Alyssa Sanclemente, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, stands next to a banner created by various Latino student organizations yesterday that symbolizes their unity. The organizations marched last night through the College Avenue campus and parts of the city to shed light on minority student issues.
The University’s famed grease trucks, located in Lot 8 on the College Avenue campus, have been part of a long-standing tradition on campus with their popular fat sandwiches. But now some University officials are saying this tradition could change by next year. For several business, health and safety reasons, the University is considering making the grease trucks, which have been located in that lot for 18 years, mobile again. To do so, the University is looking to put that prime location out to bid on the market — which has never been done before, said Jack Molenaar, director of the Department of Transportation Services. The winning bidders would then be allowed to serve in that designated space on one condition: They would have to leave the area at some point during the night. But the current owners of the five grease trucks there feel this potential change is unfair because of the time and money they spent establishing their businesses in the lot. Regardless of the University’s decision, they said they are willing to make whatever changes the University asks in order to keep serving their community. THE UNIVERSITY According to a tentative committee composed of several University officials, the trucks pose several health, safety and financial detriments that the school looks to rectify. The committee, led by Molenaar, whose department oversees the trucks as they are stationed in a University lot, brought these concerns to light Monday at a meeting that also included several student leaders in the Public Safety Building on Commercial Avenue. “We don’t have a problem with the grease trucks there,” Molenaar said. “We’re just trying to make sure we’re meeting all the rules and regulations.” The first issue stems from PepsiCo, which has a contract that all food vendors on University property serve PepsiCo products, Molenaar said. The grease trucks do not. The University also supports the trucks financially. Currently the trucks pay a monthly rent totaling $62,400 a year. But with security, electric and grease removal/cleaning costs, the University saw a $93,467 deficit last year, Molenaar said. This does not include solid waste removal costs, which run up to about $5,600 per year, or the lot’s power washing occurs about six times a year at $1,500 per wash, said Dianne Gravatt, director of Environmental Services and Grounds, at the meeting. There are additional costs for pest control and bathroom repair. Students in the past ripped off the grease trucks’ bathroom sink, racking up additional repair costs, Gravatt said. Another issue the University faces with the trucks regards environmental compliance. Sue Dickison, health safety specialist for environmental projects at the University, said the trucks are accountable for several grease drum spills and have disposed of used fryer oil down sinks and storm drains. At the meeting, she said these spills are not often properly cleaned up, which affects the Raritan River and does not comply with the Clean Water Act. She said she has spoken often to the vendors about this issue, and they are aware of it. “Their practices have been less than desirable,” she said. This led the University about two years ago to consider putting the location up for bid to outside vendors, Molenaar said. Several outside vendors that offer different food types have approached the University, asking to place
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