NEWARK – The opportunities have been there. The Bears just need to capitalize on them.
“We’ve been struggling. We’re trying to fight,” said Newark shortstop Bridger Hunt. “We keep getting hits; we’re not producing the runs that we need.”
In the first game of a three-game set with the New Jersey Jackals, the Bears cranked out 10 hits, but stranded six base runners in the 4-3 home loss.
“We had a lot of opportunities,” said Newark manager Garry Templeton, whose team is 11-14 and fourth in the Can-Am League standings. “Right now, our guys aren’t producing.”
In the bottom of the first, Hunt (2-for-3) got the Bears on the scoreboard early with his fourth home run of the season. It could have been a two-run shot, but 2B Brandon Newton was picked off at first base right before the blast.
The Jackals answered an inning later to notch the game at 1. Center fielder Bryan Sabatella scored all the way from first on left fielder Danny Rams’ RBI single into deep left-center field.
Both squads traded runs in the second inning before New Jersey went ahead 3-2 on an RBI base hit off the bat of designated hitter Chris Duffy. Hunt leveled it in the fifth with a run-scoring single of his own.

“I’m doing my job the best I can,” said Hunt, who is among the league leaders in batting average and RBI.
Newark threatened in the fourth inning as left fielder Ernie Banks, Jr. and catcher Kyle Lafrenz (2-for-3) led off with a pair of singles. Designated hitter Derek Perren bunted the duo over, but that was as far as they would advance in the frame.
The Bears had runners on in the fifth and seventh as well, but they did not come around to score.
“We left too many men out there on base with guys [up at the plate] that can produce,” said Templeton.
Rams, who had tied the game earlier with a single, would come up big again in the top of the eighth. The left fielder knocked in the game-winning hit off of reliever Kyle Morrison to help the Jackals improve to 15-13.
Recently signed Newark pitcher Adam Gabel (0-0) made his second start of the season. The right hander went six strong, yielding five hits, two earned runs, while walking three and striking out four. He did not factor into the decision, but his ERA now sits at 2.38.
Craig Heyer (3-3) picked up the win for New Jersey. He pitched seven, striking out five. Jackals closer Tim Adleman shut the door, firing two perfect innings for his fourth save of the year.
Templeton said his club has been dealing with several maladies. Hunt has been nursing a hamstring injury. Second baseman Brandon Newton will be getting an X-ray on his wrist. The pitching staff has also taken a hit.
“We’re dealing with a lot of injuries,” Templeton said. “Basically, you don’t have your [entire] team out there on the field.”
But Hunt, a 6-foot Georgia native, believes Newark will turn things around.
“It’s going to settle down,” he said. “Everyone’s starting to figure some things out, bats are heating up. I think you’re going to see a different outcome real soon.”
The Bears have two more home games against New Jersey before a three-game set in Québec.
“Hopefully we can squeeze out a couple of wins before we go to Canada,” Templeton said.
> Click here for the box score
Game Notes
This afternoon’s loss is the second straight for the Bears and pushes Newark five games out of first place. There were four lead changes in today’s game. After committing four errors last night, Newark tallied only one today (but it led to a Jackals run). Brandon Newton, Brandon Hunt, and Kyle Lafrenz were all 2-for-3 and accounted for two of the Bears’ three runs. Hunt maintains a slight advantage over Rockland’s Chris Edmondson for the batting average lead.
With the win, the third-place Jackals have given themselves a 2.5-game cushion over the Bears. New Jersey’s left and right fielders, Bryan Sabatella and Danny Rams, had a good day at the plate. Sabatella went 2-for-3 and scored two runs; Rams was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
This was the second meeting between the in-state rivals. In the last series, the Jackals were up 2-0 before getting rained out. The battle for New Jersey bragging rights continues tomorrow.
Next Game
Newark plays the second game of the three-game series against the Jackals tomorrow (June 18th) at 6:35 PM. Buy tickets to watch the game at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, listen live on Game Central, or get real-time play-by-play and stats through Game Live. You can also access the audio and scoreboard links at www.newarkbears.com.

Yesterday’s postponed game (June 18th) will be made up today (June 19th) as part of a doubleheader. The doubleheader will feature two seven-inning games. Game 1 will begin at 4:30 PM. Game 2 will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.
Catch Both Games for One Admission!
To show their appreciation, the Bears are offering fans both games for just one admission. Come out and enjoy great baseball, promotions, and activities such as FREE Bears caps, 2 for 1 specials, Launch-A-Ball, and face painting!
Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, NJ

Urbanomics on Lettuce:

Due to the growing amount of community gardens and  urban farmers spouting up in Newark, periodically we will be covering “ALL THINGS GROWN IN NEWARK”, and the various markets.  So everyone like salad.  It the easiest vegetables to get children to eat, in many cases  they eat it  raw and full of  active nutrients.   Important to note about lettuces are that they can be grown in  community gardens , they have a short growth cycle and by cutting or planting the seeds at various times during the spring and summer months, you can have lettuces ready for the picking at regular interval,  even daily, from garden to your plate.  Lastly, if you havn’t planted lettuces yet, there is still time, due to it short growth cycle time to plant.  So with that said,  Urbanomic  introduction to a popular vegetable, lettuce.

There are 5 types of lettuce:
Leaf (or loose-leaf lettuce), Cos or romaine, crisphead, butterhead and stem (or asparagus lettuce).

Leaf lettuce produces crips leaves loosely arranged on the stalk.
Cos or romaine forms an upright, enlongated head. Good for sandwiches and salads.
Butterhead varieties are small, loose-heading types, that have tender, soft leaves with a delicate sweet flavor.
Stem lettuce forms an elongated seedstalk that is used mainly in stewed, creamed, and Chinese dishes.

Cripshead, or iceberg: Strives well in northern conditions, and require most care. In areas without long cool seasons, they are generally grown from tansplants started early, and moved to the garden as soon as the soil can be worked. Extremely sensitive to heat and must mature before the first hot spell of summer to achieve high-quality heads.
Heat wave= failed lettuce. Roof planting in the summer= failed lettuce.
In many locations, crisphead lettuce plants started in late summer to mature in the cooler weather of autum, have a much better chance of success.

However, oakleaf lettuce is resistant to tipburn and can be grown in hot weather, in semishaded areas.

Germinate:  Failure to germinate seed is caused by insufficient moisture or old seed. Lettuce seeds do not keep well. It is advisable to obtain new seeds each spring.
Store seed for a fall garden in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Some lettuce varieties (the white-seeded types) have seed that require light for germination. These types should not be covered with soil, but merely pressed into good contact with prepared soil. Seeded areas must be kept moist, but not soggy, until seedlings emerge.

When to plant: Leaf, Cos and Butterhead grow best in early Spring when the soil is dry enough to rake the surface, or late Summer, with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F. Two or more plantings with14 day intervals provide a continuous supply of lettuce. Spring planting should be completed a month before the hot days of summer begin. Plantings started in late summer mature during cool fall weather. The loose-leaf types of lettuce are heat tolerant and may be grown in the shade of taller crops through most of the summer, if care is taken about irrigation and soil selection.

Head Lettuce: requires more care than other type of lettuce. Start transplants for a spring crop indoors, or in a coldframe- (a protected plant bed. Has no artificial heat added. Temperature difference inside and outside are generally no more than 5 to 10 degrees. Used to provide shelter for lettuce, etc. earlier than they can be started in open soil). A hotbed is the opposite – (a heated coldframe, or minature green house, a means for extending or giving an early start to warm -season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, or melons). (Coldrframe and greenhouse/hotbeds to be discussed later). Set plants in the garden as soon as the ground can be worked, and void severe frost. Cos, butterhead, and leaf varieties can be transplanted for earlier harvest. 

Note:  In the heat of summer, lettuce seedlings started in a protected location in the shade can be transplanted late into moderate sites with limited success. Be careful, hot days tend to accelerate the head to (bolt) seed prematurely. This can be prevented. Irrigate frequently. Use plenty of good RICH organic mulched soil.

Spacing and Depth: Plant seeds 1/4″ to 1/2 “deep (10 seeds per foot) in single, double, or tripple rows 12″ to 18″ apart. Thin seedlings to 4″ apart for leaf lettuce and 6″ to 8″ for Cos and Butterhead. (The seedlings removed can be transplanted or eaten). Transplant Cripshead seedlings 10″ to 12″ apart in a row.

Care:  because lettuce has shallow roots, it should be hoed or cultivated carefully. Frequent light watering causes leaves to develop rapidly, resulting in high-quality lettuce. Irrigation, a day or two before harvesting results in hearty lettuce heads.

Note: Overwatering, especially in heavy soils (clay), can lead to disease, soft growth and scalding or burning of the leaf margins.
Organic mulches (saw dust, dried weeds mulch) can help to moderate the soil temperatures and the microenvironment to produce quality lettuce in less than ideal weather conditions. Convenience of geographic location lends to the harvesting of densely rich organic mulch from the dead leaves of undergrowth wooded areas.

Harvesting: Leaf lettuce may be cut whenever it is large enough to use. Cutting every plant at ground level gives the remaining plants more space for growth. Leaf lettuce reaches maximum size (6 to 12 ounces) in 50 to 60 days. Butterhead varieties form small, loose heads that weigh 4 to 8 ounces. Harvest in (60 to 70 days). The inner most leaves, that tend to blanch themselves, are a delicacy. Cos varieties have an upright growth, and form a long, medum-dense head.

Cut and come again:  Early in the season, use scissors to harvest the leaves carefullly, or twist without disturbing the root system. New leaves will quickly grow to replace the ones you have harvested. If one has (broadcasted) throw seeds randomly over well thinned soil, at the end of spring, there will be ample plants left to seed, and, in the autumn, one can collect new sprouts beneath the dying plants. An easy way to begin new autumn crops.

Storage:  Wash, drip dry and place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Lettuce keeps best at 32 degrees F and high (96 %) humidity.

Common Problems:  watch for a buildup of colonies of Aphids. on the underside of the leaves. (discussed later).
Tipburn:  A physiological conditon that causes lettuce to “die back” at the edges of the leaves. It results from a change in the moisture relationship between the soil and the plant. Clip off any brown leaf tissue and use the remainder of the leaf. Frequent light watering helps to prevent tipburn. Some varieties are resistent to this condition.
Foliage rots: Frequent in hot or wet seasons. Good soil and air drainage for the lettuce bed can help to minimize damage over time.
Bitter Lettuce:  Hot weather may procude bitter lettuce when seedstalks begin to form. Wash and store leaves in the refrigerator for a day or two. Much of the bitterness will disappear.
Seedstalks in the center of plants: A combinaton of long days, warm temperatures, and age. When seedlings begin to form, harvest immediately and store in the refrigerator.
Non-germination of seeds:  Insufficient moisture or old seeds. Store seeds for autumn planting in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Varieties, like the white-seeded type have seeds that require light for germination. These types should not be covered with soil. Press said into the soil.
Lettuce Rot:  Avoid storing with apples, pears, and bananas. These fruits release ethylene, a ripening agent, that causes lettuce to develop brown spots and decay quickly. Black spots on leaves indicate mold. Slime on leaves indicate a residue of bacterial decomposition.

Nutritional value:  Iceberg lettuce, a head variety, is water dense. Low in nutritional value and flavor. Water is the abundant nutrient in this variety.

Dark green lettuce, indicates high fiber, high nutrients, and high beta carotene.   Leaf lettuce and romaine provide fiber, flavor, cruch, and are excellent salad sandwich selections.  Lettuce provides a small amount of fiber, some carbohydrates, little protein and a trace of fat. Important nutrients are vitamins A from beta carotene. (Of course beta carotene’s yellow orange is hidden by lettuces’ green chlorophyl pigments. Incidentally, the human body converts this beta carotene into vitamin A, a strong component in fighting cancer. Vitamin A has lots of antioxidants, which can/may reduce cancer of the respiratory system, and intestinal tract.  Also, leaf lettuce is a moderately good source of vitamin C, calcium, iron and copper. The spine and ribs of the plant provide dietary fiber, while vitamins and minerals are concentrated in the leaf.  Leaf lettuce is high in potassium.

The signature event of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Small Business Week, will be held June 17th through June 21st. This year’s events will take place in multiple cities across the country and will include informative events designed to help small businesses grow and succeed.  More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they’re responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs each year. National Small Business Week will provide an opportunity to highlight outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and other job creators from all 50 states.

Small business owners will get a chance to interact with federal government officials, local elected leaders and representatives from national and small business experts. As well as networking and workshops, there will be expert panels discussing topics relevant to running a successful small business. To those unable to physically attend, National Small Business Week will also feature daily online forums that will focus on subjects such as exporting and access to capital. All events will be live-streamed on the SBA website, www.sba.gov/smallbusinessweek.

From Monday the 17th to Thursday the 20th, you can attend workshops around the city. Choose from up to 5 a day (or go to them all!), from topics such as How to Start a Business (June 19 at 6 pm) at the Newark Public Library, Yelp Town Hall (June 17 at 2 pm) or Q & A w/ The Taco Truck (June 17 at 3 pm) at Rutgers Business School, or Crunching the Numbers (June 18 at 10 am) at Dryden Mansion, an introductory accounting and bookkeeping presentation. Most of the events are free but some have a small charge of up to $25. On Wednesday, June 19, you can attend the Social Mixer at Martini 494 from 5 pm to 7 pm and mingle with other Small Business Week attendees.

Newark Small Business Week 2013 kicks off tomorrow June 14 – June 21 with BUYLOCAL. Print the card at the BUYLOCAL website and present it at various stores throughout Newark to receive a discount or free item. You can see which discounts you get on the website. The promotion aims to encourage Newark residents, students, and workers to shop locally and help out small businesses in the area.

Some of the highlights include a 15% discount at 27 Mix, half-off pitchers of sangria at Catas, and 10% or 15% off your purchase at ?uestion Mart. There are also discounts for Elbow Room, Fastsigns, and La Cocina.  Check the website for the full list of discounts and their restrictions.

Sponsored by NewarkPulse, Brick City Development Corporation,  and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the workshops, panels, and meet-and-greets, start on Monday, June 17.

Visit the Newark Small Business Week website for the full schedule of events, to RSVP for any of them, and to see which events are free.

The day event included a series of seminars, and a luncheon presentation.

Dr. Craig Brown, Vice President of the National Chapter introduced the speaker.

This years, keynote speaker, was Dr. Randall Pickett, a successful technology entrepreneur, rhodes scholar ,winner of Trump apprenticeship show, and CEO of BCT Partners.   Dr. Pickett, the  acquirer of  5 scholastic degrees, told the audience  the important of education.    The audience was attentive, and engaged.

He discussed, the importance of being a producer rather than a consumer.  ”Consumer don’t create, producers do.  My  father brought me and my brother, a computer instead of  video games, and encourage us to make video games rather than playing them, and in several months we began to write operating programs”.  The other principals he shared were determination and suggested taken the road less travel needs to be the norm and common place .  ”For technology trailblazers the road less travel, unknown terrain, is the road that was never traveled.  You must make your own road, the road is made as you walk  along the way”.  Dr. Pickett wanted to dispel the myth regarding technology and the audience were apart of a legacy of innovators in technology.  ”Not only do you come from a legacy in technology, as far back as ancient Africa to modern America, to the present date. People like you were the contributor of  the light bulb,  the computer, understanding of the ozone, understanding of photosynthesis, the elevator the traffic light, and the air condition.  Technology is all around us”.  He then  conveyed  the importance to be a decision makers at the  table of innovation business.   “You need to be owners in technology businesses”.    The presentation was encouraging and inspiring.

     Emily Nichols-Mitchell, MBA, presented “What the Recruiter Won’t Tell You”

It should be noted that the content of the seminars were designed for the entire family, so both young and old would find the content of seminars interesting and informative.  The workshops covered the following:  Your place and Space, GIS, GPS and Remote Sensing, Cyber Bullying, Powering Your World with Solar Energy,What the Recruiter Won’t Tell You , How the Internet Connect Your World, Smart Phones & Smart Phone Security, Mobile Technology Demands a Mobile Web, and Should I Get a MAC Computer?

What technology skills can do for you in the 21 century?  ”Technology is driving our society. You are engineering instigators, your are technology innovators, visionary prognosticator.  You are not trouble makers, not player haters.  You are trend originators, you are idea creators, you are anti procrastinators, you are butchers, bakers,  candlestick makers, you make it do what it do.  Are you with me. ”  The audience cheered and applaud.

NEWARK – After winning both games of the doubleheader Sunday, the Newark Bears completed a three-game sweep of the Rockland Boulders with a 5-3 victory at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Bears RHP Leondy Perez (3-1) fanned seven batters and allowed only one earned run in the win. Boulders RHP Pat Moran (2-1) gave up five runs (four earned) but struck out nine in the loss.

The game was scoreless until the top of the third inning when Boulders CF Jerod Edmondson connected on 1-2 pitch that barely cleared the center field wall for a home run. At the bottom of the third, Bears C Kyle Lafrenz got to second on an error by J. Edmondson. 3B Travis Weaver hit a hot shot to first base that 1B Billy Alvino could not handle, allowing Lafrenz to advance to third. CF Steve Malcolm then knocked in Lafrenz to tie the game at 1. SSBridger Hunt worked a full count and hit the payoff pitch by the shortstop for an RBI. With runners on the corners, Hunt stole second and Malcolm scored on a throwing error by C Scott Knazek, giving the Bears a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, Perez threw just nine pitches to retire the side in order. At the bottom of the frame, Moran nearly got out of the inning before RF Carlos Guzman hit a two-out single into center field. LF Jamar Walton followed that up with a chopper over first base and stretched it to a double when he narrowly escaped a tag at second. 1B Ernie Banks, Jr.’s deep infield single allowed two runs to score, putting the Bears up 5-1.

Perez’s first walk came at the top of the sixth. 2B Donnie Webb then stole second and advanced to third on Lafrenz’s throwing error. 2B Brandon Newton made a spectacular catch on LF Chris Edmondson’s fly ball to short center field and prevented Webb from scoring. With runners on the corners, 3B Stephen Cardullo pushed a run through with a sacrifice fly to right field and cut the Bears lead to 5-2.

RHP Ryan Carr relieved Perez at the top of the seventh. Perez finished the night with seven strikeouts, two walks, and allowed only two runs (one earned) on four hits. After Carr retired the side 1-2-3, he gave up a single to J. Edmondson to start the eighth. Carr then walked Webb and C. Edmondson to load the bases. With Carr struggling to find the strike zone, Bears manager Garry Templeton brought in RHP Kyle Morrison to try to work out of the jam. Morrison’s first pitch bounced to the plate and squirted by Lafrenz, allowing J. Edmondson to score, and Webb and C. Edmondson to advance. Morrison then walked DH Johnny Welch on four straight pitches and the bases were loaded again. Morrison was able to regain his composure and struck out Cardullo, Alvino, and RF Jaren Matthewsto maintain the 5-3 lead.

At the bottom of the seventh, the Boulders sent in 6’10″ LHP Garrett Johnson to relieve Moran. Moran threw 114 pitches, struck out nine, and allowed five runs (four earned) in his six innings of work. Johnson and RHP Kevin Fuqua pitched back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to help keep Rockland in the game.

After closing both games in last night’s doubleheader, RHP Jorge Vasquez was called upon once again. Vasquez struck out SS Nick Del Guidice and got PH Mike Gedman to pop up for the first two outs. Vasquez then fell behind J. Edmondson 3-0 before before working the count back to full. With the Bears fans on their feet applauding, Vasquez struck out J. Edmondson to pick up the save and seal the three-game sweep.  This moves the Bears up positioning to third place below the Boulders, and could potentially tie them for second place.

Game Notes

Tonight’s win is the Bears’ fourth in a row and gets them above .500 for the first time this season. Closer Jorge Vasquez earned his third save in two days. Jamar Walton laid out to make a great catch on Donnie Webb’s shot to left field. DH Derek Perren flirted with a home run in his Bears debut today.

The Bears will be off until Tuesday, June 11th when they take on the New Jersey Jackals in a three-game set at Yogi Berra Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the in-state rivals this season.