HOPEFUL SIGNS OF TRANSFORMATION IN Newark in 2011

Last year, the city of Newark, New Jersey reported its first murder-free month in 44 years.  This was a milestone of victory along a trail that has seen consistent improvement in the city for the past four years.  Recently the news came out that the first quarter of 2011 saw a rise in crime.  While this is very unfortunate, it is important to put it in proper context.  The first quarter of 2010 saw multi-decade lows for murder and violent crime, including the month of March which had no murders at all. In the context of the last 2-5 years, it is evident that the long-term crime trend is down, and although transformation is about more than a drop in crime, such milestones are significant.

1. Rival gangs in Plainfield (Greater Newark area) have agreed to a cease fire.

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2011/05/two_rival_plainfield_street_ga.html

2.       First installment of $100 Million Facebook Founder's matching grant was released to the Newark school system this spring.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/01/mark-zuckerberg-newark-donation_n_830037.html

3.       Regional Planning Board Proposes $15 Billion expansion for Newark Liberty Airport 1/29/11)—Proposal could save 130,000 jobs in the NY/NJ region.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/planning_group_calls_for_15_bi.html

4.       Federal Government Announces Largest Mob Roundup in U.S. History (1/21/11)—125 arrested in multi-state sweep.  Operations in Port Newark are included in these arrests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/nyregion/21mob.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/massive-100-suspected-mobsters-arrested/story?id=12713067

5.       Bayonne Bridge Expansion to expand capacity for Port Authority of NY and NJ (4/2/10)—Plan to raise the Bayonne Bridge may bring 269,000 additional jobs to region by 2025.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/plan_to_raise_roadbed_of_bayon.html

6.       Panasonic Confirms it will move its U.S. Headquarters to Newark (4/2/11)—The Panasonic Corporation announces it will build its new U.S. headquarters in Newark.  Local officials see this as “the transaction that redefines the city’s trajectory” of economic growth.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/mayor_cory_booker_confirms_pan.html

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/05/after_two_decades_prime_newark.html  http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/01/panasonic_considering_move_to.html

7.       NCAA Eastern Regional Basketball Finals Held in Newark (3/27/11)—National men’s basketball games at Prudential Center boosts Newark’s reputation.

http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2011/03/di_ionno_theres_no_apologizing.html

8.       Chicago Appoints Newark’s Gary McCarthy as New Superintendent of Police—Newark Mayor Booker commends McCarthy for his role in reducing violent crime in Newark.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2011/05/emanuel-names-garry-mccarthy-new-chicago-police-superintendent.html

http://blog.nj.com/njv_joan_whitlow/2011/04/will_support_and_job_offers_tu.html

9.       Star-Ledger Declares the Prudential Center is one of America’s Top Entertainment Venues (3/22/11)—In 2010 the Prudential Center was the 11^th-busiest arena in the U.S. for non-sporting events.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/prudential_center_yet_to_deliv.html   

10.       Time Magazine Includes Booker and Christie in Annual List of “The World’s Most Influential People (5/2/11)—Newark Mayor Cory Booker and New Jersey Governor are listed as 2 of the 100 leaders who have had the greatest impact on the world in the past year.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2066367,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066397,00.html   

11.   U.S. Secretary of Education Says the Eyes of America are on Newark’s School Reform (4/3/11)–U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan states that Newark occupies center stage in the national education reform movement and can set a national standard for excellence.

http://blog.nj.com/perspective/2011/04/a_qa_with_arne_duncan_the_eyes.html

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/04/us_education_secretary_visits.html

 http://blog.nj.com/njv_joan_whitlow/2011/04/newark_parents_want_to_be_invo.html 

12 Signs of a Changing Spiritual Climate in Newark

Newark, NJ:  The transformation of Newark is continuing to accelerate this year.  Last November the PrayForNewark team announced that 100% of the city’s streets had been adopted for daily prayer.  Since November 2007 PrayForNewark has been partnering with local ministries, government officials, and marketplace leaders to see citywide transformation.  In 2010 the popular press has published 7 significant articles that provide evidence of a changing spiritual climate in New Jersey’s largest city:

1.       ABC News announced that Newark’s “Turning Point” was the August 2007 schoolyard killings (4/8/10)—ABC announced that the murder of 3 teenagers in 2007 helped galvanize community efforts to improve Newark:

a.       http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0410/723866.html

2.       First murder-free month in 44 years (Interview with National Public Radio, 4/2/10)—An interesting interview in which Mayor Cory Booker discusses the city’s transformation initiatives in crime reduction and other policy areas:

a.       http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125499986&ft=1&f=1001

3.       Alleged Drug Kingpin captured in Newark (4/20/10) – One of the FBI’s “Top 15” fugitives was captured in Newark after a year-long national manhunt:http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/newark_arrest_nets_alleged_dru.html

4.       32-Year Old Murder Case solved in Newark (3/29/10)—In 2008 after an Irvington man gave his life to Jesus Christ, he confessed his involvement in the murder of 5 Newark teenagers in 1978.  This case had baffled Newark detectives for 32 years.  A PrayForNewark Street Adopter began to pray for the street where these murders happened in the fall of 2007:

a.       http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/suspect_confessed_to_newark_mu.html

5.       Marriott announced the opening of first new hotel in Newark in 38 years (2/4/10)—This is the first major new hotel to be built in Newark since the 1970’s:

a.       http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/first_new_hotel_in_newarks_dow.html

6.       New Children’s Museum to be built in Newark (4/11/2010)—This is a most encouraging development demonstrating that Newark is becoming a tourist attraction to families with young children:

a.       http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/childrens_museum_of_new_jersey.html

7.       St. Michael’s Medical Center to get $250 Million Upgrade (4/20/10)—St. Michael’s Medical Center, which was struggling to survive two years ago, announced that it will create a major new medical hub in downtown Newark. 

a.       http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/st_michaels_medical_center_to.html

8.       Homeland Security announces confiscation of 3000 pounds of cocaine from a Panamanian container ship (October 2010).

9.       Facebook CEO Announces $100 million matching grant to Newark School District on the Oprah Winfrey Show (9/24/2010).

10.   Foundations donate $3 Million to transform Newark’s Military Park (11/2/2/10). Acclaimed developer Dan Biederman has been hired by 3 foundations to revive Military Park.  He previously renovated Bryant Park in New York City, which resulted in an economic boom in that Manhattan neighborhood.

None of these events could have been anticipated in Newark even five years ago.  In every part of  the city, residents and visitors are noting that there has been a new spiritual climate since 2007—when  Harvest Evangelism’s team led by Chief Jay Swallow and Dave Thompson first came to Newark.  We believe that God will continue to show us “greater things” as Newark’s spiritual climate continues to brighten, one street at a time.