Homeless pets throughout New Jersey hope to be adopted.

If you're interested in helping homeless animals but aren't able to adopt one, there are a number of other ways you can be of assistance.

Realistically, not everyone can adopt. People who live in apartments or developments that have no-pets policies fall into that category, as do people with allergies or disabilities that will not allow them to care for pets of their own.

Here are some suggestions for ways people who want to help can participate in caring for homeless animals.

 

* Help out at a local shelter. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's vital and will be very much appreciated. You can do anything from help walk dogs to bottle feed kittens, help clean kennels or cat's cages or even help with bathing and grooming. Contact your local shelter to find out their policies regarding volunteers.

* If you're handy, you can lend a hand in many ways. Shelters usually need repairs of many kinds, so fixer-uppers can help out like that. If you sew, quilt or crochet, you can make blankets for your local shelter.

* Help out at an adoption event. Many shelters and rescue groups participate in local events by hosting a table with pets available for adoption. They also hold these program at malls, pet supply stores and banks, and can always use a helping hand.

* For galleries like this one and for online adoptions sites, often a shelter or rescue group doesn't have the time or equipment to shoot good photos of their adoptable pets, Something as simple as making yourself available to shoot and provide digital files of pet photos can be a big help.

* Donate. It doesn't have to be money; shelters need cleaning supplies, pet food, toys for the animals and often even things we don't think twice about getting rid of like old towels and newspapers. Every little bit helps.

If you don't know where your local animal shelter or rescue group is, a quick online search will reveal a number of results. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort to get involved but it provides immeasurable assistance.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Critics who've pointed to the impending death of football might be surprised by the latest data. Also, others may be shocked by which high school sports have seen the greatest increases and decreas...

High school football participation remained mostly steady across the nation in 2015-16 as the National Federation of State High School Associations reported a drop of just 309 total players from the previous school year.

The figure marks a significant improvement after football participation fell by nearly 10,000 players nationally from 2013-14 to 2014-15, according to NFHS data.

SLIDESHOW: See which H.S. sports decreased and increased in participation in 2015-16

All told, football remained the most popular sport in 2015-16, checking in with 1,083,308 athletes across the country.

Also, 24 states reported increases this past year in football participation.

Make sure to scroll through the photo gallery above to see which sports lost and gained participants in 2015-16.

“The NFHS and its member state associations have taken significant steps over the past 10 years to minimize the risk of participation in football and all high school sports, so this report on the continued strong interest and participation in high school football is very encouraging,” NFHS executive director Bob Gardner said in a report on the NFHS website.

“With the adoption of state laws and protocols for concussion management in place, we continue to believe that the sport of football at the high school level is as safe as it has been since the first rules were written in 1932 — and we believe this year’s participation report is confirmation of that belief,” Gardner continued.

RELATED: Despite deaths, injuries, small N.J. football programs fight for survival

Overall, boys and girls total participation numbers across all sports reached all-time highs in 2015-16 with 7,868,900 athletes competing nationwide. Last year’s figure included 61,853 more participants from 2014-15.

For more information on participation figures, click here.

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Who goes into the 2016 season as the team to beat in every section throughout the state.

The first weekend in December is always among the most exciting of the NJSIAA season as all 23 football sectional championships are decided at four sites throughout the state.

Who will be the teams hosting trophies at MetLife Stadium, Rutgers, Rowan and Kean this winter? It's not time for predictions just yet - that can wait until the seeds come out in early November.

But we will let you know who the teams are who have the best chance right now to be declared champions at the end of the season - and a few teams that should be challenging them for the crown.

Click on the links below to see our projections for the top teams in every group in the state as the 2016 season gets ready to kick off this weekend.

• North 1, Group 1
• North 1, Group 2
• North 1, Group 3
• North 1, Group 4
• North 1, Group 5

SEASON PREVIEW: The 2016 essentials and more

• North 2, Group 1
• North 2, Group 2
• North 2, Group 3
• North 2, Group 4
• North 2, Group 5

• Central Group 1
• Central Group 2
• Central Group 3
• Central Group 4
• Central Group 5

• South Group 1
• South Group 2
• South Group 3
• South Group 4
• South Group 5

• Non-public Group 2
• Non-public Group 3
• Non-public Group 4

Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find the NJ.com High School Football page on Facebook by following this link.

Nancy A. Meyer will take over as president. Richard A. Green will also take over ass vice president and news editor

North Jersey Media Group has new leadership to run New Jersey's second-largest newspaper and nearly 50 community papers two months after its sale to Gannett.

Gannett announced new leadership for The Record after purchasing the newspaper group in July.  

The former publisher and CEO at the Orlando Sentinel Media Group, Nancy A. Meyer, will take over as president starting Sept. 6, Gannett's Domestic Publishing division said in a release. 

Richard A. Green will take over as vice president and news editor, according to the company. Green comes from The Cincinnati Enquirer, a Gannet-owned paper, where he served as president and publisher. 

The 121-year-old Record and all of North Jersey Media Group's assets were sold in July to the largest newspaper chain in the country, Gannett. The publisher of the Asbury Park Press, Tom Donovan, took over as interim president after the sale was announced.

Since the deal was announced staffers have been uneasy about potential downsizing.

On Tuesday, copy editors and production staff were told that they will have to reapply for their jobs in their departments, which will be consolidated at Gannett's other publications this fall, according to the New York Post. 

The Borg family had owned the publication since 1930. 

The sale was estimated at $40 million, according to the New York Post. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.     

Bergen County needs someone new to run the state's largest hospital, Bergen Regional Medical Center, and on Monday it took steps to figure out who that would be.

Bergen County needs someone new to run the state's largest hospital, Bergen Regional Medical Center, and on Monday it took steps to figure out who that would be.

The county asked for detailed proposals outlining how potential operators would run  the hospital and their plans for services offered to patients. The Paramus facility currently offers a range of care to patients, including psychiatric and abuse treatments.

The county is responsible for securing a new entity to run the facility because the county's contract with the current operator, Bergen Regional Medical Center LP, will expire after 19 years in March 2017. The county asked that the potential operators submit contracts that would last a minimum of 19 years. 

"This hospital cares for the most vulnerable people in our communities and I am proud to help guide its future during this critical time," said County Executive Jim Tedesco in a news release. "This RFP will help us choose the best Tenant-Operator for the hospital, while providing greater transparency for Bergen County."

Responses are due no later than October 19 at 3 p.m. ET and paperwork states that contract negotiations will begin in December.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

CORRECTION: The operator of Bergen Regional Medical Center was incorrectly identified in an earlier version of this story. Bergen Regional Medical Center LP operates Bergen Regional.

The brothers, Chris Schmidt, of Lincoln Park, and David Schmidt, of Westwood, had named the lobster 'Big Lobi'

Two brothers from New Jersey paid $210 for a 22-pound lobster in Cape Cod last week hoping to save it from being someone's dinner, according to a report. 

But two days after the twins set it free, a fisherman found the massive crustacean dead in the area where they released it, The Cape Cod Times reports. 

Aerial footage of the latest N.J. fish kill

The brothers, Chris Schmidt, of Lincoln Park, and David Schmidt, of Westwood, had named the lobster "Big Lobi" after Red Sox star David Ortiz, the report says. 

A marine expert told the Cape Cod Times, Big Lobi most likely didn't survive because the water off Chatham was too warm. 

22-pound lobster named Big Lobi, bought by 2 brothers and set free; found dead days later https://t.co/NuFrz2JL9G pic.twitter.com/CrLohDdMhk

-- Cape Cod Times (@capecodtimes) August 29, 2016

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig. Find NJ.com on Facebook.     

East Rutherford and Fort Lee school districts banned the use of the unmanned aircraft systems from their properties.

At least two North Jersey schools have decided they don't want drones flying on school property this year without approval by the school district.

Fort Lee and East Rutherford adopted nearly matching policies last week that ban drones from flying, launching and landing on school grounds.

"The Board of Education is concerned for the safety of all staff members, students, parents, community members, and visitors while on school grounds," according to East Rutherford's policy.

The policy goes on to state that flying drones "presents a public safety issue." East Rutherford declined to comment and multiple requests for comment were not returned by Fort Lee.

The resolutions state that drones could be authorized on the properties if the operation first got approval from the district and was flown with supervision.

Bernard Bell, a professor in Rutgers School of Law School who specializes in property and privacy law, agreed that drones present safety issues for schools. He said that he thought drones posed privacy and distraction concerns to the students as well.

"It seems like a reasonable policy to me," he said. "There's a particular mission or purpose of schools and that basically deals with education and there are number of ways in which having students using drones on school property interferes with that."

Drones in Bergen County have made headlines before, including when the county's Office of Emergency Management was the first in the state to receive an exemption from the FAA to fly drones to assist emergency responders. And last year, Bergen Community College became one of three community colleges to get FAA approval to operate drones.

In May, the FAA enacted a new regulation that would allow educational institutions to operate a model aircraft as long as it was as a hobby or recreational and not used for any sort of compensation, said Luis De Abreu, director of the STEM GPS grant at Bergen Community College.

De Abreu oversees the college's drone program. He said that drones were a public safety issue, but countered that driving a car could be as well.

"Anything as long as it's in control and governed by federal guidelines, as long as you have someone in charge of overseeing the population, I don't see why it can be banned or controlled or censored," De Abreu said.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Most districts made changes to adapt and encourage the use of technology in their classrooms.

Dozens of construction projects are ready to be unveiled throughout school districts in Bergen County for the 2016-17 year.

As students trickle back to school in the coming days, they might not notice some of the less eye-catching projects most schools seemed to prioritize this summer: new air conditioning, boilers and roofs, as well as better ventilation systems and LED lighting.

Districts also invested in technology upgrades, revamped media centers and revamped classrooms to cater to their STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs.

Northern Highlands Regional High School District, for example, gave all its staff and students Microsoft Surface tablets to use in school and at home. Information that is sent and received by the tablet will be processed and monitored by the school, said the district's superintendent, Scot Beckerman.

Beckerman hopes that students will use other apps such as YouTube to collaborate with other students and fuel discussions.

At least two of the districts overhauled new spaces for their disabled students, such as at Lyndhurst School District's Lighthouse Campus. The building is a miniature house that includes rooms such as bedrooms and a kitchen.

"They'll learn how to use debit cards, how to order online shopping, how to have things delivered, how to food shop, and how to make a list," said Shauna DeMarco, superintendent of Lyndhurst Public Schools.

New Milford was among the schools that changed its dated library to a new media center that opens up into a courtyard. They've done away with the Dewey Decimal System to organize their books and have opted to sort materials by genre, more like a book store.

They also let students select the books that line the shelves.

Comfortable seating areas are also available for students to work. 

"We want to give students a whole new way of studying and collaborating," said Michael Polizzi, a New Milford school district superintendent.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde. 

Pet shops that sell puppies in New Jersey were linked to 53 out-of-state "puppy mill" breeders cited for animal welfare violations.

TRENTON -- An undercover investigation into New Jersey dog-selling pet shops revealed their suppliers were frequently puppy mills cited by federal authorities for medical neglect and mistreatment, and the animals themselves were subjected to "demonstrably inhumane" conditions in a handful of stores, the Humane Society announced Monday.

Investigators visited the 29 pet shops across the state in July and August to check the condition of the dogs, and to determine whether store owners were complying with the year-old Pet Purchase Protection Act. Considered the strictest consumer law on pet purchasing in the nation, the act requires store owners post breeder information on puppies' cages, and refrain from using breeders that have committed federal animal welfare violations within the two preceding years.

The Humane Society also examined the local records of 1,400 shipments of puppies into the state from breeders in 2015 and 2016.

According to the report:

• 14 pet shops used breeders with a multiple animal welfare violations. One Oklahoma breeder was cited for allowing three Shiba Inus to be "heavily infested with ticks that the ticks could be seen all over their "face[s], ears and in between the toes of their feet." 
• 53 breeders listed on the Humane Society's annual "Horrible Hundred" list had shipped puppies to the state. One breeder in Iowa had been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for listing "gunshot in brain at close range" as a routine method of euthanasia.
• 6 pet shop failed to post breeder information on each dog's cage.
• 4 pet shops subjected the dogs "demonstrable inhumane" conditions. Some puppies seemed "starved for human attention" and confined to filthy, rusted cages so small, "they could do little more than turn around."

"We've always warned pet buyers not to shop at pet stores that sell puppies, and this investigation proves once again that there are valid reasons for that counsel," according to a statement from Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.

"Pet stores tell buyers that all their dogs are 'from USDA licensed breeders' or are 'AKC registered' as if these declarations are stamps of quality, but our investigations of licensed puppy mills and the AKC have proven in the past that their assurances are hollow and provide no guarantees of humane treatment," Pacelle's statement said.

Mike Bober, president and CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, slammed the report, pointing out "several exaggerations and misrepresentations that call the accuracy of the document into question."

The report is a "marketing piece" to push for a restrictive law that would all but ban many breeders outright, he said.

Bober also pointed to a passage in the report that says: "many pet stores in New Jersey appear not to be violating any laws, and some are buying from breeders without recent Animal Welfare Act violations. The fact is that many USDA-licensed breeders without AWA violations can still be considered puppy mills."

"This demonstrates that the report is intentionally sensational in its approach to the subject matter in an effort to rally support for an outright sales ban despite the successes achieved by current state law," Bober said.

The animal welfare organization issued the report to also raise public awareness about a pending bill in the Legislature (S63), that would prevent pet shops from doing business in the state if they violate state law and do not disclose breeder information to the potential buyer. The state Senate passed the bill in June.

N.J. files complaint against 'Just Pups' owner

Humane Society investigators decided to visit the pets stores after local and state health officials shut down the Just Pups pet stores in East Brunswick, East Hanover, Emerson and Paramus.

The owners, Vincent LoSacco, 50, and his brother Leonard LoSacco, 51, were accused earlier this year with animal cruelty after police on April 4 said they found more than 60 puppies left unattended in small crates inside a cold van at the Route 17 pet store in Paramus.

The state Division of Consumer Affairs filed a complaint in July seeking to permanently bar the LoSaccos from selling animals in New Jersey. 

Some pet shop owners responded to the report with a mix of surprise and suspicion, and questioned the findings. Most did not return calls seeking comment.

Cindy Knowles of Furrylicious in Whitehouse Station called the report "biased...given the Humane Society's public stance and opposition to retail pet sales and breeding purebred dogs."

"We are constantly working to check our breeders and comply with New Jersey state Laws," Knowles added. "Furrylicious has hundreds of very happy customers and we are constantly working to improve."

The report singled out some shops for the troubling conditions of their dogs, such as Passaic Pets in Passaic, and D & G's Petite Pups in Paterson. Conditions "were so troubling that our staff reported them to local law enforcement agencies for review," according to the report.

A man identifying himself as a manager at Passaic Pets said he has stopped selling dogs after "city hall" contacted him with concerns.

Gary Hager, owner of Bark Avenue in Red Bank, said in a voicemail message that he had acquired only one dog from Judy Maassin, the Iowa breeder that according to the report shot animals in the head. "That was before we knew which breeders were really suspect. 

"We have a substandard list (of breeders we will not use and) we adhere to stringently," Hager said.

D & G's owner did not return calls seeking comment.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The accident occurred late Monday on Kinderkamack Road between Center and Park.

ORADELL - A pedestrian was injured after being struck by a vehicle late Monday in front of the Oradell Fire Department.

The scene on Kinderkamack Road between Center and Park remained closed Tuesday morning, authorities said in a Nixle alert.

"The incident is under investigation," said Sgt. Kevin Doyle of the Oradell Police Department.

Doyle had no information about the victim or the vehicle.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

NJ Transit got the second-highest grades in five years on its quarterly scorecard survey, but some commuters gave their rail lines poor grades.

NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor line may be the state's most-often delayed, but it's the worst, according to commuters.

That distinction goes to the Morris & Essex line, which was ranked last by commuters on NJ Transit's most recent Scorecard survey.

The best rail line? Passengers using the Atlantic City line say they are the most satisfied with their service.

Riders on the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor line graded their service second-best of NJ Transit's eight rail lines. Last year, it was ranked worst.

"M&E service continues to get worse. A few issues I've noticed, beyond the usual unreliable service, are erosion of rush hour's already God-awful service, specifically trains at the front of rush hour that used to be reliable," said commuter Michael Conlon, who rides from Chatham.

That line also has scheduling issues and at least one car always has air conditioning that doesn't work, he said.

Overall, NJ Transit's commuters gave the agency a 6.3 on a scale of one to 10. That was up from a 6.2 ranking given earlier this year and the highest ranking since it received a 6.4 grade in early 2013.

Morris & Essex riders gave that route a 5.6, up from 5.3 in the last survey. The grades were given by 27,450 people, or slightly over 6 percent of NJ Transit's 442,790 daily riders, who took the survey in May and June. 

"The M&E used to have better service. It used to run more frequently," said David Peter Alan, Lackawanna Commuter Coalition president. "Service isn't what it used to be. Connections between the M&E and other lines are a roll of the dice at best."
Which NJ Transit line is constantly late?
The Montclair-Boonton and Pascack Valley lines tied for second worst, even though commuters gave them a slightly higher grade compared to the last survey.

"Pascack Valley service is fine for the most part. ... The issue is that it is a single track (line), so when there's even the slightest issue with one train, it affects everyone behind them," said commuter Jared Moore.

Riders on the North Jersey Coast and Raritan Valley lines rated them third-worst, giving them a 5.9 in the survey. Commuters riding the Atlantic City Line gave it a 7.4.

NJ Transit officials said they use the survey to guide improvements.

"We're not satisfied with the status quo and we'll continue to utilize customer feedback," said James C. Finkle Jr., an NJ Transit board member. 

One former Northeast Corridor line commuter who now rides the M&E disagreed with the rankings.

"Compared to my previous commute, the M&E is a dream," said Melissa Almeida, who rides from Orange. "On the Corridor, we considered it a great week if we made it over two total on-time arrivals (in a week)."

The rankings of NJ Transit's train lines (1-10):

1. Atlantic City: 7.4

2. Northeast Corridor: 6.3

3. Main/Bergen: 6.2

4. (tie) North Jersey Coast: 5.9

4. (tie) Raritan Valley: 5.9

6. (tie) Montclair-Boonton: 5.8

6. (tie) Pascack Valley: 5.8

8. Morris & Essex: 5.6

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Super conferences and realignment have been the talk of the summer, but now it's time to address some other questions that will also impact the 2016 season.

Victim was standing on side of road after nephew's car got flat tire

NEW YORK -- A 43-year-old Bergen County man has been charged with aggravated vehicular manslaughter and drunk driving after allegedly striking a car pulled over on the side of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Vladimir Menin of Fort Lee was driving a BMW westbound at about 3 a.m. Monday when he slammed into a car on the side of the elevated roadway, according to WABC-7.

The victim, Aissatou Diallo, 49, was standing in front of her nephew's car, which was disabled after getting a flat tire, the report said.

Menin's vehicle crashed into that car, which then hit the mother of four. The impact tossed her off the side of the expressway and onto the pavement below, the report said. She was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

Menin is also charged with manslaughter, reckless driving and aggravated unlicensed operation.

The crash took place near the Meeker/Morgan Avenue exit in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Diallo was driving two of her children home to Staten Island from a wedding in Queens. The nephew was in a different car.

In all eight people in the two stopped cars were taken to the hospital to be checked, the report said.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Judith James of Paramus was hit by a car on Kinderkamack Road about 10:35 p.m. Monday.

ORADELL - A 64-year-old woman was struck and killed by a car Monday night as she crossed a street in front of the borough's firehouse, authorities said Tuesday.

Judith James of Paramus was walking west across Kinderkamack Road near Center Street when she was struck by a a Nissan Xterra. The southbound vehicle was driven by a 47-year-old Emerson woman, according to Capt. William Wicker of the Oradell Police Department.

James was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she later died.

No charges have been filed. The accident is being investigated by the Oradell Police Department with assistance from the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Wicker said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The smal university is investigating whether an official's email was "compromised" after the account sent an offensive note about black students.

Felician University is investigating whether a school official's email was "compromised" after the account mass-distributed an offensive note about black students to the campus, according to a report on NorthJersey.com

"The email of one of our employees appears to have been compromised by someone who very clearly was attempting to disparage her and the university," Felician President Anne Prisco said in an email to the campus, the site reported.

Changes coming to Bergen schools this year

The offensive email, which contained numerous grammatical mistakes, came from the account of the school's housing director, according to the report.

The email reportedly stated, "we accept a lot of black students every year and they are always have the qworse attitudes this summer alone I deal with more angry parents every other day there was a parent calling and complaing they wonder why we have a drug issue in the residence halls."

The private, Roman Catholic college has campuses at Lodi and Rutherford. 

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde. 

The suit against David Kushner, from Cresskill, was officially closed on Monday after being filed last year in the Southern District of New York.

A racketeering lawsuit against a Bergen County man was thrown out of court on Friday because the four-year statue of limitations ran out.

The case against David Kushner, of Cresskill, was officially closed on Monday after being filed last year in the Southern District of New York, NorthJersey.com reported.

An investor from Suffolk County, Arnold Rosenshein, alleged that Kushner and his business associates engaged in "widespread criminal enterprise" by soliciting risky loans on real estate, according to the report.

Judge Denise L. Cote ruled that there was enough evidence to make Rosenshein suspicious of the activity in 2009, when he should've pursued legal action to meet the statue of limitations, according to the report.

Rosenshein invested $4 million in businesses affiliated with Kushner.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde. 

Authorities were called after the girl was treated for fractures

LODI -- A 23-year-old borough woman faces aggravated assault and child-endangerment charges after a  five-month-old girl was hospitalized over the weekend, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Dalia Toalongo (Bergen County Prosecutor's Office)  

The prosecutor's office was contacted by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency Sunday, when the girl was admitted to Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck with "multiple fractures of her extremities," the prosecutor's office said.

An investigation by borough police and the prosecutor's Special Victim's Unit led to the arrest of Dalia E. Toalongo Monday. She was being held at the Bergen County Jail on $150,000 bail. She has been barred from any contact with the infant and had to surrender her passport.

Authorities did not release any information on the nature of the relationship between Toalongo and the infant.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Ashlee Holmes and fiancee Pete Malleo welcomed their son Cameron Hendrix Malleo Tuesday afternoon

"Real Housewives of New Jersey" co-star Ashlee Holmes has given birth to her first child, a boy, and minted the very first "RHONJ" grandmother in Jacqueline Laurita in the process.   

Make that "glamma," as Laurita has put it. Holmes, who is engaged to the baby's father Pete Malleo, announced on Instagram earlier this evening that they had welcomed Cameron Hendrix Malleo, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, into the world at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday. 

Cameron Hendrix Malleo. 8lbs 0.4 ounces. We are so in love with you. [?] [?] [?]

A photo posted by Ashlee Nichole (@ashleenicholexx) on Aug 30, 2016 at 4:08pm PDT

Holmes, a 25-year-old makeup artist, got engaged to Malleo, a longtime friend, in February. In a recent episode of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," Malleo and his soon-to-be-mother-in-law shopped for engagement rings together. When the show was taped earlier this year, Holmes was still living at the Lauritas' Franklin Lakes home. 

Laurita and her husband Chris have two younger children together, C.J. and Nicholas. And the Lauritas are part of a larger "RHONJ" clan -- Chris's sisters include Caroline Manzo, whose daughter Lauren tied the knot last year and who currently stars in the "RHONJ" spinoff "Manzo'd With Children," and erstwhile "RHONJ" star Dina Manzo. 

vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out TV Hangover, the podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here.

TV HANGOVER SHOW: Ep. 47: Battle for the best show of Summer 2016

Let's see which line gets the most upvotes ... and which doesn't.

Last week, NJ Transit revealed that its Northeast Corridor line had the system's worst on-time record. And then on Tuesday, NJ Transit's latest rail rider satisfaction data was revealed. And while the Atlantic city Line was rated No. 1 with riders, the Morris & Essex line is the big loser. Rail riders rated it as NJ Transit's worst.

We wondered how you rate your NJ Transit rail line. Find your line on the list below. give it an upvote if you're satisfied with the service you are getting, and a downvote if you're not. As more votes come in, the train lines with the best scores will rise to the top. Let's see which NJ Transit line gets the best rating from NJ.com readers.

Many towns have laws restricting what owners can do with trees on their property.

RUTHERFORD -- Ray Schembri moved to Rutherford about eight years ago.

He renovated his house on East Pierrepont Avenue, adding a picture window that looked out on a row of oak trees.

"I don't know trees that well, but they were certainly some of the biggest trees in the neighborhood," he said.

But about two weeks ago, the trees were gone. The lot where the trees had stood on the corner of East Pierrepont and Wheaton Place had been cleared, not only of the oaks but of the old house that stood there.

The owner listed in tax records did not return a call seeking comment. Schembri says has never met him, and neither have his neighbors, but he feels the neighborhood is worse off.

"Now when I look out I see everybody's garages," he said.

The Rutherford Shade Tree Commission, which was only formed in March and has sway only over trees located on public property or the public right-of-way, says it has no control over trees on private property.

Sharp leaving Mahwah

Steve Addeo, the chairman of the commission, said some kind of ordinance governing private trees was warranted in Rutherford, which calls itself the 'Borough of Trees.' But since the commission is so new, it might be a while until it's put together.

"We're a newly formed commission and we're just getting organized," he said.

There is plenty of precedent in New Jersey for municipalities governing what residents can do with trees on private property.

In Ramsey, anyone planning to remove more six trees from their property in a year needs a permit. Saddle River requires a permit for any tree with a circumference of 25.13 inches or greater. Alpine regulates any trees 6 inches or wider. The same rule applies in Closter, which also designates certain "landmark" trees that can never be removed.

Saddle River Mayor Albert Kurpis said his town has had its tree rule in place since 1998. With a permit, a homeowner can remove as many as five trees per year, but can't touch any trees in a "non-disturb zone" extending 25 feet from their property line. At the same time, homeowners have control of trees 30 feet from their houses.

Kurpis credited the rule with preserving the rural atmosphere of Saddle River.

"Most towns didn't do this and that's why most towns in the suburban sprawl seem very devoid of trees and good canopy foliage," he said.

The state Supreme Court in 2009 upheld the right of towns to force property owners to pay to replace any trees they remove on private property. The New Jersey Shore Builder's Association sued Jackson Township over its tree removal ordinance, which requires owners to replace any trees they remove or pay to have replacements planted on public property. The association said the ordinance went beyond typical land use laws.

The legal battle went up to the state Supreme Court, which upheld the ordinance.

"Summing up, we hold that the Township's tree removal ordinance is a valid exercise of the police power," the court said in its decision.

Kurpis said property rights aren't unlimited, as some people might believe.

"Those same people would probably say, 'I should be able to build a water tower or a light house on my property,' which would ruin the flavor of the neighborhood," he said. "There's a limit to your property rights if you choose to live within your community."

While an ordinance governing private trees doesn't exist in Rutherford, Addeo said one should be in place.

"Eventually, I think it's important that we look at that area because it is still part of the town canopy, and it does affect other people, not just the person's property," Addeo said.

As for Schembri, he would have been happy with a heads up.

"If you plan on cutting down a tree on your private property that's over a certain height, you should at least let your neighbors know," he said.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.