and preacher named Paul Schäfer established a German colony in Maule and extermination after US-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet seized control of the country in September 1973 according to a heavily redacted US Senate Subcommittee document the German-Chilean connection on Operation Condor was established The document also reveals that Washington was aware of Colonia Dignidad’s role during the Pinochet dictatorship that the Chilean National Intelligence Directorate “maintains close liaison with the German Nazi colony of La Dignidad in Southern Chile.”  In recent months, though, Colonia Dignidad has made a dramatic reappearance in the news. In January, the renewed coverage led Haydee Oberreuter, director of the National Institute of Human Rights, to visit the colony bringing its history and legacy back to the forefront of Chile’s collective memory.  a joint project between the Free University of Berlin and the Santiago-based Museum of Memory and Human Rights will shed more light on the German-Chilean link against the backdrop of dictatorship as well as record oral histories that the public can access permanently Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced the start of an expropriation process that would transform several “old space[s] of torture and horror” at Colonial Dignidad into a “place of memory and future.”  Rights groups and organizations dedicated to preserving those memories have urged the government to avoid disturbing sites that serve as graves who survived detention at Colonia Dignidad said that plan marked a necessary step forward and must take place within a broader reparation and non-repetition.” Some rights groups have worried that the expropriation process has excluded their input and then will follow a participatory effort to design the memorial site Appropriation will focus on six sites: Schäfer’s house and the onsite hotel that still operates.  Chile and Germany signed an agreement to create a joint commission with the specific aim to document the crimes that took place at Colonia Dignidad Chilean human rights organizations have criticized the agreement — notably due to Germany’s role in maintaining impunity with regard to the state’s links with Colonia Dignidad as well as the role Nazi officials played in disappearing Chile’s detainees  The German Embassy in Chile was aware of the abuse taking place at the colony at the time, but according to documents released by the German germany government, Schäfer boasted of his ability to manipulate diplomats and prevent investigations.  Colonia Dignidad came into existence in Chile in 1961, but it traces its roots seven years back to Siesburg Schäfer founded an organization called the Private Social Mission in 1954 a project that marked the former Nazis’ first experiment in manipulation Schäfer had his followers work in a chain of supermarkets for no pay exploiting the widespread poverty of post-war Germany.  Schäfer also found himself facing charges of sexually abusing children stopping first in the Middle East and then making his way — along with his followers — to Chile.  which paved the way for the Dignidad Benefactory and Educational Society awarded Schäfer legal status and tax exemption He instituted a surveillance regime to prevent followers from leaving He turned Colonia Dignidad into the site of widespread abuse but their testimonies weren’t enough to stop the atrocities taking place at the colony.  The way the Rettig and Valech reports put it Colonia Dignidad and the Pinochet regime forged their earliest link in November 1973 the same time as DINA’s establishment Pinochet and DINA chief Manuel Contreras paid personal visits to Schäfer’s colony.  The German fugitive lent out his property to the Fatherland and Liberty Nationalist Front for guerilla warfare training and similarly let DINA make use of the site for the purpose of training its agents in torture tactics the site also served as the actual site of detention Colonia Dignidad also served as a de facto intelligence agency in tandem with the state intelligence regime at times even dispatching its own informants to spy on DINA The colony kept its own archives — more than 45,000 files — many of which pertain to Operation Colombo That operation included the infamous 1975 Cerro Gallo massacre during which military squads fatally shot political prisoners and tried to pass them off as guerilla fighters The human rights group Londres 38 has counted 94 files linked to Colonia Dignidad’s victims, but the organization believes they constitute only a fragment of the colony’s records.  It wasn’t until 1991 that Colonia Dignidad lost its legal status. The first president during Chile’s democratic transition, Patricio Aylwin, described Schäfer’s gated community as “a state within a state.” Six years later a court sentenced him to 33 years in prison for sexual abuse and the illegal possession of weapons.  experts from a Chilean police unit tasked with investigating human rights crimes discovered an underground building while conducting excavations on the grounds of Colonia Dignidad The investigators have said the underground bunker operated as a surveillance and control center Margarita Romero, the president of Colonia Dignidad’s Association for Memory and Human Rights, said that while the discovery wasn’t surprising, it did reaffirm the need to continue searching for underground spaces that could help piece together the details of the past. “We think that through them,” she explained “we will be able to get closer to the truth regarding the participation or the role that Colonia Dignidad played during the dictatorship.” Lawyer Hernan Fernandez, who has represented the colony’s victims since 1996, echoed Romero while speaking to Chilean press Because Colonia Dignidad stretches across 16,000 acres of land the chemical weapons manufactured there have yet to be discovered Fernandez also warned that both Chile and Germany bear the responsibility for the fate of disappeared detainees.  the Chilean government has granted Colonia Dignidad additional impunity through legitimizing new business endeavors that profit off its land which is now in the hands of the previous owners.  who had relayed information about the bunker to the Santiago Court of Appeals her house was vandalized and robbed four times since the investigations began Nor was Romero the only person who has faced intimidation and pushback: According to Chilean media similar acts have targeted other prominent figures — including the investigative reporter and author Mauricio Weibel — involved in investigating dictatorship-era crimes Thanks to the 2017 memorandum of understanding between Germany and Chile, an oral history project with funds from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office now sheds light on what happened at Colonia Dignidad. The initial interviews took place between 2019 and 2022.  The collaboration between the Free University of Berlin’s Latin American Institute and the Catholic University of Maule brings together testimonies of former members of the cult detainees who survived the colony’s horrors and the relatives of the disappeared.  The interviewees include five Chileans whom Schäfer sexually abused by Schäfer when they were children eight former detainees who endured torture at Colonia Dignidad 32 former German settlers (some of whom still live at the premises and others who living elsewhere in Chile and four Chilean minors whom cult members illegally adopted It also includes the input of 12 experts involved in investigating the history of Colonial Dignidad.  Last December, an announcement noted that “Colonia Dignidad: A Chilean-German Oral History Archive” will make the publicly available digital archive a permanent interactive media station at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Chile.  The digital archive will join the thousands of records that turned up at Colonia Dignidad in 2005 and became available to human rights and memory organizations throughout Chile.  As the push to preserve the memory of these atrocities moves forward shady businesses continue to profit off Colonia Dignidad’s past — at the expense of both Chilean and German victims.  Documents declassified by the German government show that Colonia Dignidad was an active participant in commercial enterprises including supermarkets and mining companies in Temuco Boric’s decision to expropriate sites from Colonia Dignidad and turn them into memorials no doubt serves the effort to further recognize the crimes of the dictatorship, but the question of who is profiting from that expropriation remains unsettled And what of the German former colonists who worked for Schäfer without compensation and received only abuse in return? Neither Germany and Chile have addressed that issue. Further back yet, Chileans who were evicted from their lands first by Schäfer and then again by the dictatorship have yet to obtain a modicum of justice such as land reclamation and ownership.  In January, as INDH Director Consuelo Contreras wrapped up a visit to the Colonia Dignidad, she acknowledged how much pain all of Schäfer’s victims experienced, from settlers to those the dictatorship targeted. Contreras reiterated the importance of a memorial site But will the owners of Colonia Dignidad profit off Chile’s memory of torture and mass murder?  Inkstick is changing the face of foreign policy If our content is something that you’ve come to rely on please make a tax-deductible donation today Even $5 or $10 a month makes a huge difference we can tell the stories that need to be told Inkstick Media is a registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 84-2451690. We are grateful to the foundations and people who make our work possible: Carnegie Corporation of New York, Colombe Peace Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, MacArthur Foundation, N Square, Ploughshares Fund, Jubitz Family Foundation, Prospect Hill Foundation, and supporters like you You can read the Terms & Conditions of this site here By continuing to use this site you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions This website uses cookies to enhance your experience This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences ELIZABETH — As Yogi Berra once famously uttered it was deja vu all over again for the Colonia Patriots they were prevented from vying for a state championship in the next game by Ramapo Ramapo prevailed once again by a 52-46 margin in the Group 3 semifinals to earn a berth in Saturday’s Group 3 championship game against Colts Neck More: Boys basketball: Colonia handles Mendham to win fourth straight sectional crown More: Boys basketball: Gill St. Bernard’s runs out of time, falls to Roselle Catholic in final The game turned early in the third quarter when Colonia's Aiden Derkack picked up his third foul and his team leading 27-24 Colonia (27-5) did not score again in the period as Ramapo went on an 10-0 excursion to take a lead it would never relinquish AJ Greig ignited the rally with a pair of 3-pointers “We dealt with that before,” Colonia coach Jose Rodriguez said of Derkack’s foul troubles “You have other guys who can step up and make plays We have a team full of guys that are capable but we never got ourselves in any sort of flow.” Colonia’s troubles started long before then as its uncharacteristic 17 turnovers would attest our lack of execution and making shots and playing so erratic let them get a little comfortable and settled,” Rodriguez noted “I thought simply that we had opportunities to maybe open the game up but our guys never really got themselves relaxed and comfortable tonight.” Colonia only made six field goals in the second half and went bucket-less for more than four minutes in the fourth quarter which prevented it from getting into its full-court pressure “We certainly rely on getting out in transition and getting stops and I think that there was a stretch there when we got the stops but unfortunately panicked and threw the ball away multiple times when we had a chance to get going,” said Rodriguez There were five lead changes in the first quarter The Patriots pulled ahead with a 12-8 run and enjoyed a 25-22 edge at the break after a steal and dunk by Derkack The junior guard once again played admirably as he continued to battle an inured ankle suffered in the GMCT semifinals which has prevented him from attacking the rim with gusto ever since he was substantially hurt for awhile,” Rodriguez said “I think this was the first time he was closer to feeling better The county final game he played with an absolutely swollen ankle that most guys would not even lace up for In a typical situation he could have been out for one or two weeks but he played through it and he fought through it and we’re certainly proud of him for that.” who has emerged as the Patriots’ second option but contributed in other areas with eight boards and five steals The Patriots also received significant contributions from role players Colin Kroner (six rebounds Julian Jones (six rebounds) and freshman Jayce Rodriguez Colonia had a magnificent season and those accomplishments were not lost on Rodriguez it’s an opportunity to find ways to reflect and look at ourselves and hold ourselves accountable,” Rodriguez offered “As much as we’ve been knocking on the door obviously we wanted this and I thought we were deserving of it We’re not going to lose sight of the fact that we won the most games in school history another sectional championship and we’re the smallest team in the (GMC) Red Division and won a division championship .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Will Harrigan | For NJ Advance MediaColin Kroner pitched six innings of shutout ball only walking one and striking out seven to help Colonia notch a 7-0 victory over Raritan in Colonia Jayce Rodriguez launched a two-run homer to boost the offense for the Patriots A four-spot in the fifth blew this one open for the winners The N.J. 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices COLONIA — The plot might have change and the cast of characters might come and go but one thing remains the same: The Colonia High School boys basketball team is a sectional champion The Patriots captured their fourth consecutive North 2 Group 3 title by breaking open a close contest in the fourth quarter and cruising to a 62-43 victory over Mendham on Friday Colonia will travel to the Dunn Center in Elizabeth for Tuesday’s state semifinals a nemesis that has ended the Patriots’ season following each of those past three sectional titles It’s a reflection of our program and what we do every single day,” Colonia coach Jose Rodriguez said of the four-peat the things we have to do to get to this point Four is special but this is about this particular group and their journey and what they’ve done and I’m really proud of the way they’ve come along.” More: Monroe jumps to early lead, cruises to Central Group 4 girls basketball final More: Boys Basketball: Colonia holds off fierce rally, advances to sectional final one-possession affair until Zach Smith nailed a 3-pointer off a dish from Aiden Derkack at the third-quarter buzzer for a 42-37 cushion The top-seeded Patriots (27-4) then outscored second-seeded Mendham (24-6) by a 20-6 margin in the fourth quarter limiting the Minutemen to a pair of layups while connecting on all seven of their field goal attempts in the final period trust the process and trust each other and that was what we did and we came out with the W,” Smith said We might struggle early and let the adrenalin get the best of us but we stayed calm and came out strong.” Colonia once again showed that it doesn’t need a zillion points from Derkack to be successful The junior guard picked up his second foul in the second quarter and finished with 14 points stepped up once again by scoring a team-leading 16 points and freshman Jayce Rodriguez deposited nine of his dozen points in the fourth quarter Schools are double-teaming and trying to take him away,” Smith said of Derkack “We all know that we have to step up our games and become leaders.” Much of Derkack’s early energy was exhibited on the defensive end where he shut out Mendham’s Kevin King over the first quarter dropping 11 in the third quarter to keep the Minutemen within striking distance Unlike Tuesday’s 57-54 semifinals win over Chatham in which Colonia nearly squandered a 21-point advantage the Patriots went off in the fourth quarter Friday instead of our guys having those moments when they had some bad possessions they did a good job turning around and responding after halftime,” Rodriguez noted “I think our group did a really good job of staying with it and we got back to how we play and we were able to get some points in transition.” Derkack opened the final stanza with a pair of free throws and King answered The Patriots then took off on a 16-2 barrage that began with a Rodriguez 3 and ended with a Rodriguez jumper “It was the most-opposite you could get in fourth quarters but that game is over and this game is over,” Derkack said everyone gave everything and I’m very proud of my boy Jayce being a freshman and stepping up in a big role I think it’s just great for him having older players mentor him Rodriguez thought for a moment when asked what’s differently about this championship from the previous three probably had some higher expectations than some of the other teams because of a guy like Aiden,” Rodriguez stated “I think some of the other teams had to ground it out to get better and I think that this team kind of had those expectations They still had to learn how to win so I’m proud of them for figuring that part out.” 2025 at 3:49 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Woodbridge school district)WOODBRIDGE NJ — The rates of cancer found in Colonia High graduates do not exceed and are not abnormal when compared with rates of cancer that occur in a similar population size according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Rutgers University both of which the Woodbridge school district asked to look into the matter in 2022 This was said by superintendent Joseph Massimino at the Thursday night Woodbridge school board meeting where concerns were resurrected that there may be a cancer cluster tied to Colonia High School Those concerns were exacerbated this week by a new NJ.com report that brought the cancer cases back into the public discussion Fears of a cancer cluster started three years ago and originated with Al Lupiano, a Colonia High graduate and environmental scientist who is keeping track of all the cancer cancers on his Facebook page Lupiano said he located approximately 122 cases of people with cancer or brain tumors who either worked at or attended Colonia High School from 1975-1999 When the school district was made aware of this Massimino said he asked the NJ Department of Health "to look at what would the number of brain tumors be in a naturally occurring sample size?" Massimino said the DOH and an epidemiologist from Rutgers hired by the teachers' union "ran the numbers" and found that there are not usually high rates of cancer in Colonia High graduates nor in people who work at the high school or live near it "The numbers fell within the same numbers that the gentleman who started the Facebook page came up with — somewhere between 98 and 108 Those numbers were consistent with what you'd find in a given population," said Massimino "When I spoke to a (Princeton Medical Center) neurosurgeon .. you have no greater chance of getting a primary brain tumor at Colonia than you do any other spot in the country based on the data of a randomly selected sample size.'" Massimino gave a long explanation to the public where he discussed how the fears about the cancer cluster began and what the town of Woodbridge has done since including involving the commissioners of the New Jersey Department of Health and Department of Environmental Protection The school district also did extensive radiation testing on the grounds at Colonia High School in 2022 which resulted in no radiation or radon being found "Everybody we've spoken to from both the Department Health and the Department of Environmental Protection said if you were looking for an environmental cause of primary brain tumors — and Mr Lupiano said this himself — you would be looking for ionizing radiation," said Massimino I'm giving to you from the experts that gave it to me .. The mayor graciously moved money to make sure that we could immediately start testing and figure out if there was an issue and what we should be doing The plan that was agreed upon with the DEP the DOH and the experts that we had consulted with was to look for ionizing radiation So we did a complete canvas of the 28 acres (at Colonia High School) They then brought in a company that specifically had equipment looking for radiation They pushed them all over Colonia High School for weeks We made sure that the DEP and the DOH signed off on it The tests came back with no sign of ionizing radiation or any kind of radiation at that point because if you're looking for an environmental connection to primary brain tumors or central nervous disorders "We had a parent surreptitiously take samples without our knowledge but (she) took samples of caulk and soil from outside Colonia High School and the samples came back positive for PCBs and historic pesticides." Those chemicals are common in construction building materials used in the '70s the Woodbrige school district re-hired T&M Associates T&M is now working with the NJ DEP and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency to determine how extensive the PCBs and pesticides are in the soil around the high school "The goal is to have that remediated this summer The DEP and EPA has to sign off on that plan They are now working on the remediation plan with the federal and state agencies Massimino noted that his two children attend Colonia High School and still do to this day "There is nothing more important to me as a father There was nothing more important to me than making sure that that school is safe for everybody else's child Massimino starts talking about this at minute 21:22 when a Woodbridge resident says he is concerned about the cancer cases: Earlier this week: More Come Forward With Concerns Over 'Cancer Cluster' In Colonia Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Lyela Nieves (15) of Colonia tries to put the ball in play during the softball game between Colonia and East Brunswick at Colonia Middle School in Colonia NJ on 4/16/24.Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jack McKenna | For NJ Advance MediaLyela Nieves hit a home run and a double while recording two RBI as part of a 3-4 day in the batter’s box for Colonia as it fended off a late surge from South Brunswick to secure an 11-10 victory in Colonia Colonia raced out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and extended its margin to 8-3 after three before tacking on one insurance run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the sixth Arabella Palmeri drove in three runs and came around to score once in a 2-for-3 effort for Colonia Marisela Cardona drew a walk and knocked in two runs while going 2-for-3 and Camilla Westcott stole base and walked three times in a 1-for-1 showing for Colonia (8-4) South Brunswick plated at least one run in each of the final five innings of the game two runs and a walk in a 2-for-4 day for South Brunswick (4-6) Jack McKenna can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) COLONIA — Colonia will appear in its sixth consecutive sectional final on Friday but it certainly wasn’t easy getting back there The Patriots amassed a 21-point lead early in third quarter then squandered all but one of those points before holding on for an extremely hard-fought 57-54 decision over Chatham in Tuesday’s semifinals The top-seeded and there-time defending champions will host Essex County Tournament finalist and second-seeded Mendham for the North 2 Group 3 sectional crown at 6 p.m More: Boys Basketball: Wortman emerges, helps Colonia repeat as GMCT champs More: Boys Basketball: Scorching second half lifts Metuchen to Central Group 2 win Aiden Derkack powered Colonia (26-4) yet again with 24 points But it was his play on the defensive end that secured the outcome Derkack missed a pair of free throws with 13.4 seconds remaining and the Patriots clinging to a 55-54 edge Colonia had fouls to give and gave a pair before Derkack came up with a steal and fed R.J Wortman for a layup at the buzzer and the final margin I was going for the foul and it turned out to be a steal,” Derkack explained “This was a big play to steal us the game.” Much of the contest could be summed as 4-on-4 although they were seldom matched up against one another Burke scored the Cougars’ first six points and nine in the opening quarter as Colonia took a 19-14 advantage But Colonia opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run Chatham (20-8) had as many turnovers as shots – three – over that sequence as the Patriots increased their cushion at the break to 39-20 “Our guys did a really good job paying attention to detail and doing the things we wanted to do on the offensive side,” Colonia coach Jose Rodriguez said of the opening half “I think with that comfortable lead we just got away from doing some of the things that we worked on.” The margin swelled to 21 points at 44-23 and Colonia was still enjoying a 47-28 lead after Jayce Rodriguez drained a 3 with 3:25 left in the third quarter That’s when Chatham went off on an extended 27-7 run to narrow the gap to 51-50 with 2:20 to play as the Patriots struggled with arguably their worst scoring drought of the season “I think it was evident that one team was playing like the game was on the line and the other team was playing as if the game was already won,” noted Rodriguez “We became really selfish and physically we just weren’t playing hard We thought that the game was in cruise control I don’t think we were having trouble scoring I just think we were making a lot of bad decisions.” Chatham again got within a point at 55-54 after a drive by Milind Talwalkar with 20 seconds remaining and the Cougars put Derkack on the line for two free throws with 13 seconds to play The foul line is the lone area on the floor where Derkack has struggled giving Chatham an opportunity to advance with any basket coming with the steal while attempting to foul allowing Colonia to contest for a four-peat on Friday The Patriots got contributions from seemingly everyone Rodriguez had on the court RJ Wortman had eight points and seven assists Collin Kroner claimed seven rebounds and Julian Jones gave a second straight strong effort off the bench MONROE — For Colonia to repeat as Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament champions the Patriots couldn’t expect Aiden Derkack to be Superman every night it might have to settle for its elite junior to be Batman The task for coach Jose Rodriguez and his capable staff who has emerged as Colonia’s second option and he joined Derkack in leading the Patriots to a 70-63 victory over Piscataway and a second consecutive GMCT title in the first championship game between two public schools since 2006 More: Boys basketball rankings: Greater Middlesex Conference, area UCC Top 10, through Feb. 15 More: Boys Basketball GMCT semifinals: Piscataway passes test, Colonia rolls Wortman registered a game-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds nine rebounds and two blocked shots as the top-seeded Patriots (22-5) defeated their Red Division rivals for the third time this season “I don’t think enough people realize that we’re relatively young in terms of experience so what our guys have accomplished this year has been off the charts special,” said Colonia coach Jose Rodriguez who also got to celebrate his 200th victory on this special evening “These guys really didn’t play that much varsity last year so what they’ve accomplished is really unbelievable.” Wortman got to celebrate a conference title last year when he contributed a grand total of nine points all season but this time he was a major factor in the outcome it felt great watching everybody else last year It made me want to be an x-factor and do more,” said Wortman who was honored as a member of the coaches All-Conference team in a pre-game ceremony Wortman’s exhortations were prescient given that Derkack was nursing a tender ankle and mild foul trouble “I coach (RJ) hard because I demand a lot out of him because I think he’s really special and we knew the clock was ticking and we needed him now,” Rodriguez offered Aiden was a little dinged up tonight and RJ had no problem talking on the load.” Derkack launched 11 shots in the first quarter as Colonia never trailed in building a 17-12 cushion “Every game I try to come out as aggressive as I can I was just trying to get to the rim,” Derkack explained Wortman felt the need to assert himself as well “I just felt I had to get going so everybody else could get going,” said Wortman we all come together and everybody plays hard.” The Patriots led by as many 10 in the first half before settling for a 37-29 edge after Jayden Harrison’s late putback for the second-seeded Chiefs (22-5) With that boost the Chiefs had some momentum as the second half began it was Colonia that opened the second half with an 8-0 run to assume its largest advantage of the night at 47-31 Wortman initiated the decisive spurt with a layup on a pass from Conlin Kroner and ended it with a pair of free throws with Kroner feeding Dylan Chiera for a 3 for the other basket just attack the rim and get out in transition and to be very physical rebounding,” said Derkack Piscataway was able to get within eight points on two occasions before the final minute when a late 7-0 run drew the Chiefs to 68-63 with 25 seconds remaining before Colonia nailed a couple of free throws for the final margin WOODBRIDGE – The community is rallying around two Colonia families whose neighboring homes were destroyed by a windswept fire this week said the fire was reported around 12:22 p.m gusty day and in the fire service we talk about wind-driven fires so the wind forced the fire to grow faster at the first house 28 Taylor Terrace and then it pushed it to 32," Nordtveit said "Wind-driven fires are definitely a challenge for the fire service The fire grew exponentially at the first house and as that house became more involved it pushed the heat right to the second," he said The cause of the fire is under investigation It appears to have started in the front on the outside of the home at 28 Taylor Terrace but that remains under review A family of four who had three cats lived in that home The wind pushed the flames to the home next door at 32 Taylor Terrace while the fire department was battling the blaze at the first house More: In times of need, people turn to the community — and GoFundMe — for support. How it works and Hopelawn responded while South Plainfield Volunteer Firefighters covered fire headquarters Nordtveit was unaware of any injuries to firefighters Jessica Zalink said her aunt's family lost everything in the fire, according to a GoFundMe page – Help a Colonia family after a devastating fire – that she created "Donna and Anthony Puglisi and their two daughters Amanda and Marissa Quinn lost everything This tragedy left them with nothing but the clothes on their backs Zalink is looking to raise $50,000 for the family more than $35,000 from nearly 400 donors has been raised Noelle Bost also is looking to raise $50,000 for Andrew Piga through a GoFundMe page – Help Out a Colonia Family After a Devastating House Fire Bost said the fire completely destroyed both homes and then around midnight the fire reignited which caused more damage 32 Taylor Terrace has also been greatly impacted who is living alone and has suffered the heartbreaking losses of his mother Andrew previously experienced another house fire in the winter of 2021 which caused severe damage to his home," the page states "Now Andrew and his loyal dog are without their home after another devastating fire." said check donations for the families can be made out to: Woodbridge Community Charity Fund NJ 07095 in care of the Colonia fire families Colonia will donate 20 percent of all proceeds from 11 a.m Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime please subscribe or activate your digital account today MONROE — One of the few things Piscataway had left to prove was its ability to win close games under tournament pressure The Chiefs entered Wednesday’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinals riding a nine-game winning streak the last seven by an average margin of 31.9 points when Piscataway knotted the score at 60-all against Sayreville midway through the final quarter seeking its first lead of the second half there was no way of knowing how the Chiefs would respond More: GMCT boys basketball quarterfinal roundup: St. Thomas Aquinas stays together, advances Second-seeded Piscataway (22-4) passed the test with flying colors closing the contest with 13 of the game’s final 15 points to record a 73-62 victory over the third-seeded Bombers (20-4) Piscataway earned a date in Friday’s championship game against Red Division-rival Colonia prevailed in both regular-season meetings against Piscataway by 19 and 17 points In addition to their penchant for one-sided contests the Chiefs are used to having a different player step up every night a junior guard who delivered a career-high 22 points and ignited the decisive The Chiefs used an early 13-2 run to forge a 17-8 advantage five minutes into the contest that’s who we are,” Piscataway coach Bob Turco explained The key for us is getting that tempo going getting everybody flying up and down and just finishing our layups when we get a steal.” Sayreville regrouped and climbed back into the contest taking a 28-24 lead after steals led to back-to-back layups by Sam Jones Piscataway led 31-29 late in the third quarter but didn’t reclaim the advantage for good until the game-ending run which began with seven straight points from Lima and I just believe in myself and believe in my teammates,” Lima said of his role in the fourth-quarter onslaught “In the fourth quarter we were down at first but it was mainly our defense that helped us come back.” Donald Nwaigwe also played an integral role for Piscataway delivering nine of his 11 points in the decisive final stanza and also contributing five rebounds we needed it,” Nwaigwe said about playing in a taut contest for a change “All the blowouts are good but sometimes you have to be in a battle Sayreville entered having won 12 of its last 13 although both of its prior GMCT triumphs over Metuchen and South Plainfield required overtime The Bombers were by led Keithan Shuler’s 16 points while Jones tossed in 15 and Chidi Chukwurah added 12 Sayreville also received a spirited effort from senior starter Joe Santamaria Turco thought the Chiefs’ superior depth proved to be the difference we wore them out,” Turco said of the 25-12 fourth-quarter differential “They didn’t get as close to the basket as they were before because our pressure on the guards Aiden Derkack paced top-seeded and defending champion Colonia (21-5) with 29 points in a contest that ended with fourth-seeded St Thomas (15-10) having just three players on the court as five of the eight players it arrived with fouled out That sentence doesn’t do justice to just how badly the game deteriorated in the second half then went the first four and a half minutes of the second without scoring a basket while increasing its lead 39-23.That’s because Colonia’s first 11 points of the half came from the foul line as the Patriots attempted 24 free throws in an interminable third quarter Derkack got support from the usual suspects five assists) and Jayce Rodriguez (11 points) Aiden Ur paced the Trojans with 16 points and Daniel Jennings Jr Jordan Derkack walked into the gym at Colonia High School and saw a tall who the hell is this guy?” Derkack recalled Son of a basketball coach who’d played pro ball Baker-Mazara immigrated from the Dominican Republic to live with a relative in Woodbridge at the start of his junior year of high school Derkack went out for pizza with him after the workout they were playing junior varsity ball together “I remember drawing up lob plays and thinking ‘Why is he still playing JV?’ We won a JV Christmas Tournament at Colonia Middle School and he had like 30 points in the final.” It’s funny to think about now because Derkack just finished up his junior year playing at Rutgers and Baker-Mazara is helping lead Auburn into the Final Four having averaged 8.5 points and 2.8 assists in four NCAA Tournament games “I’m so proud of him as a friend,” Derkack said Baker-Mazara’s hardwood journey – from playing JV as a high school junior to going virtually unrecruited as a senior standout to one of the biggest stages in all of sports – is a lesson for every overlooked undervalued gym rat that no prospect ranking system can place limits on you 1 thing is for young players to avoid getting caught up in paying attention to who is the so-called ranked guy who is the guy that’s playing on a certain circuit with AAU,” Colonia coach Jose Rodriguez said “There are so many kids who were considered a higher-ranked kid than Chad and he is the last one standing Rodriguez took the reins at Colonia just before Baker-Mazara’s senior year there “You could tell he had some ability,” Rodriguez said “We started to play a way more up-tempo game and it was like who is this 6-foot-7 kid who is handling the ball in transition and knocking down threes and making plays?’” Baker dominated the Greater Middlesex Conference as a senior then shined in the statewide North-South All-Star game But he remained unrated (zero stars) and unranked by the national recruiting evaluators and his only Division I scholarship offer came from Mississippi Valley State are they just going based off who is telling them that ‘this is a top-100 guy?’” Rodriguez said “Are they really doing their homework to get a feeling for which guys have the upside this kid is better than what people realize.” One of the many flaws in the cottage industry of grassroots scouting is that not enough evaluators see players in high school settings – where they are well-scouted by opposing coaches and the emphasis is on winning rather than racking up highlight clips in spring and summer showcase events Thus when it comes to projecting a player’s potential, the most reliable sources tend to be local or regional guys like NJHoops.com founder Jay Gomes who is New Jersey’s longtime scouting authority And Baker-Mazara has exceeded even Gomes’ analysis “I always knew he had potential – he’s long and athletic can shoot the three – but I never predicted this,” Gomes said Baker-Mazara has taken the long route to this point then broke into the D-I ranks with Duquesne then did a year in junior college before resurfacing at Auburn in 2023 “There were some moments in this journey where I was a little worried about him and concerned as he bounced around just always making sure he could be stable and continue to follow the right path,” Rodriguez said “The way it’s worked out is pretty satisfying Baker-Mazara made a name for himself last winter averaging 10.0 points and shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range but his junior season ended with an ejection in the Tigers’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale Derkack said that disappointment served as fuel – “a chip on his shoulder” – for a senior year during which Baker-Mazara's averaged 12.2 points With help from fellow New Jerseyan Tahaad Pettiford Auburn has reeled off a 32-5 record heading into Saturday’s national semifinal against Florida which has been exemplary for a long time but as a public school winning with kids from the neighborhood often sits in the shadow of the Garden State’s private-school basketball factories “I’m all Auburn this weekend,” Derkack said “My younger son just ordered a Chad Baker T-shirt the other day Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com 1/42Baseball: Colonia defeats Middlesex 1-0, April 15, 2025.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comCory Pascarella tossed a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and no walks to power Colonia to a 1-0 victory over Middlesex in Middlesex Joseph Massimino drove in Jeffrey Mellito in the sixth inning to give Colonia (5-1) its decisive run Chris Kozak tossed a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks for the Blue Jays (5-2) 1/27Softball: Woodbridge vs. Colonia, April 22, 2025.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Mak Ojutiku | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comColonia swept a double-header against cross-town rival Woodbridge Mariella Spina tossed seven strikeouts with three walks and six hits to lead the Patriots to a 9-4 morning win over Woodbridge Marisela Cardona went 3-for-3 with a solo homer while Hailey Conklin went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI Emily Schmidt recorded two hits and two RBI Kylie Rackett finished 3-for-3 with one RBI for the Barons (5-5) Arabella Palmeri went 2-for-2 with one RBI to help Colonia win the noon game 5-2 The Barons got on the board first by scoring two runs in the top of the fourth but Colonia (7-4) quickly bounced back and took a 3-2 by scoring a trio of runs in the bottom of the inning Keira Carroll earned the win in the circle Spina and Carroll each recorded a single and an RBI Gianna Sheridan and Adrianna Green each drove in a run for Woodbridge Oxnard police arrested a man Tuesday afternoon in connection with a fatal stabbing in the La Colonia neighborhood last month was already in local jail custody on an unrelated charge at the time of his arrest Oxnard Police Department officials said in a news release whose surname is spelled Garciarodriguez in jail and court records The announcement came about two weeks after the victim, Eugenio Lopez Ramirez, 26, was found with stab wounds in the 100 block of Wilson Avenue on the night of Feb Police officials have said they believe a bystander happened upon Lopez Ramirez around 9:45 p.m Investigators believed the victim had been stabbed elsewhere and collapsed near Wilson Avenue and First Street He was taken to Ventura County Medical Center The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined Lopez Ramirez died from stab wounds of the chest Police officials have said he is from Oxnard while the medical examiner identified him as a Port Hueneme resident which involved detectives from the special enforcement unit along with personnel from the investigation services bureau turned up "sufficient evidence" to arrest Garcia Rodriguez No additional details were provided about the evidence found or the circumstances leading up to the stabbing Garcia Rodriguez was arrested around 2 p.m after being charged by prosecutors with assault with a deadly weapon and false imprisonment by violence Ventura County Superior Court records show He remained housed at the main jail Tuesday evening with a hearing in the murder case scheduled for Thursday afternoon in courtroom 13 A plot of land that was used and then forgotten for a very long time Joe Beltran who is 96 years old rests on the seat of his walker in the cemetery He remembers the graveyard from when he was a boy growing up in La Colonia de Eden Gardens “Years back when people died this is where we came to bury them And after that for a long time nobody took care of this place,” Beltran said He describes La Colonia as a little Mexican village in what is now Solana Beach The overgrowth that consumed the forgotten graveyard caught the eye of Armand Olvera about 20 years ago Therese’s church and the Knights of Columbus and he wondered what was underneath the brush “The brush and everything was from four to six feet high So you couldn’t see anything in here,” Olvera said “And so as I came down the hill and was walking through the cemetery And that was when a small community came together to clean up the cemetery and try to find out who was buried there For Beltran it’s been like a family reunion “My great-grandma is in back of me over here,” Beltran said as he pointed to the spot Beltran first returned to the place about ten years ago when he visited the graveyard with his son Michael “My dad calls me over and says ‘I found my great grandmother.’ And that touched my heart and his “So at that point we kind of made it our duty to try to do something about this cemetery.” The Beltrans and the Knights of Columbus are part of a group that comes twice a year to clean up the graveyard that’s now called St some of the history of the cemetery has been unearthed James Parish that indicated 83 people were buried here he said volunteers have found 57 gravesites “We found places where we knew there was a gravesite not knowing who was there but we put a white cross,” Olvera said And the search is not complete because now they’re looking below ground Olvera said he’s wanted to scan the depths of the graveyard for years Ultimately he and Michael Beltran made contact with the engineering and consulting firm Michael Baker International which agreed to work on the graveyard free of charge pushes what looks like a lawnmower across a small piece of the graveyard on a recent Saturday morning The tool uses ground penetrating radar (GPR) The underground images it displays look like a jumble of colors and waves to the untrained eye But Daniels can recognize the radar signature of a likely burial particularly when the person is buried in a casket “There are definitely some unmarked graves (based on) my preliminary analysis from the data from a few weekends ago But my goal is to process all of the data and look at it as a whole,” Daniels said he describes his discoveries as underground “anomalies.” Sometimes they’re tree roots or gopher warrens and sometimes they are undiscovered graves Daniels had already marked several anomalies he found during a recent scan with blue flags on stakes Along with the radar signature of a gravesite above-ground evidence is also helpful to predict what you’ll find below Here’s an anomaly that doesn't have a marker Maybe it matches up to the other anomalies that are in that row Michael Beltran said the end goal is to identify unmarked graves and pay respects by marking them with white crosses He said stories from the community will also play a role in their quest He said he spoke with a woman who thinks she knows where her sister was buried Another story tells of two infant twins who died and were buried here Maybe Daniels can find what appear to be two small buried coffins The stories often come back to La Colonia and the families that still live in the San Diego area.+Those original Mexican families came here in the early 20th century when local landowners were looking for people to work the citrus groves and the fields of lima beans with my great-grandmother,” Michael Beltran said “But as more families have started to come down and help out now Lisa Montes is the curator of the Solana Beach Heritage Museum Her uncle and grandfather are buried in the graveyard “My grandfather always instilled in me the importance of honoring our ancestors and never forgetting them,” Montes said Montes said La Colonia has changed a lot in the 100 years since it was founded When her mother was a child she went to a segregated school for Latinos The area has been greatly gentrified and the old families have dispersed to other parts of the county But the graveyard has remained a part of the community It’s a place where people can remember the past and maybe even find a gravesite that holds a member of the family and a 39-year-old who graduated from Colonia High died from brain cancer Feb That's according to a new report by NJ.com, which details additional information that has come to light about a possible cancer cluster in Colonia The issue dates back to 2022 a man who grew up in Woodbridge and went on to become an environmental scientist starting investigating what he says is an unusually high number of brain cancers and brain tumors in Colonia High School graduates Lupiano and his wife both attended Colonia High School and now both have rare brain tumors Lupiano published all of his research on his personal Facebook page That prompted Woodbridge Township to test for radon and radiation at Colonia High School Woodbridge conducted both air and soil tests inside and outside of the high school However, since then polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides have been found in the air at Colonia High School, NJ.com also reported That prompted Woodbridge Township to hire T&M Associates to do an environmental assessment of how high the levels of pesticides/PCBs are at Colonia High School That environmental investigation is currently in progress The results of that assessment will be sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Related: No Cancer-Causing Radiation Found At Colonia High School, School District Says (2022) A Colonia High School student who tested positive for tuberculosis is responding well to treatment the school district announced late last week after it was notified by the Middlesex County Office of Health Services The school is now working to identify students and staff who may have been exposed to the illness Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria resulting in an infection that typically affects the lungs and the infection and disease can be cured with medication Colonia High School Principal Christopher Chiera stated the school district is working with county health services and the Woodbridge Health Department to protect the health and safety of the entire Colonia High School community "Those individuals identified as a close contact will be screened as a precautionary measure School officials will contact parents/guardians of students identified by the Middlesex County Office of Health Services as close contacts,” Chiera said in a statement “It is very important that potentially exposed individuals participate in this tuberculosis investigation." According to information from the American Pulmonary Association it is not easy to contract an infection of tuberculosis and usually a person must have close contact with the infected person for a substantial length of time to contract the illness Casual and limited contact with a person with active tuberculosis is not enough for someone to pass the infection on to others Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Middlesex County Office of Health Services Tuberculosis Control Center at 732-321-5297 or the Woodbridge Health Department at 732-855-0600 school nurse Joanne Bebee is available at 732-499-6500 to assist families with their concerns Jake Harvatt (5) of Colonia runs the bases during the baseball game between Woodbridge and Colonia at Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comJake Harvatt went 2-for-3 with two RBI to help Colonia down Sayreville 8-3 in Colonia Colonia (3-0) led 4-0 at the end of the fourth inning before Sayreville (1-2) cut it to a one-run game in the fifth Colonia answered with four more runs the rest of the way Colin Kroner had a two-run triple for Colonia and earned the win tossing four innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and two walks and Logan Kaufman had an RBI for Sayreville 1/27Softball: Woodbridge vs. Colonia, April 22, 2025.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance MediaOur HS sports photos like the ones above put you right up close with the action and the whole experience Check them out by clicking anywhere in the collage above to open the photo gallery Don’t forget to share the gallery with friends and relatives These photos are also available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes – just click the “BUY IMAGE” link below any photo to see available options and make a purchase NJ.com subscribers can also get free print-quality digital downloads of any images in this gallery Note: Because we are trying to make these galleries available for viewing as quickly as possible you are probably seeing an early version and more photos will be added later Please return and refresh the page to see additions Mobile device users: For the best experience downloading high-resolution images (available free and to subscribers only) and making photo purchases it’s best to visit this page from your desktop or laptop computer The N.J. 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WOODBRIDGE – Things couldn’t have gone much better for Woodbridge early on The Barrons jumped to a 21-0 lead over Colonia midway through the first quarter A surprising blowout in the rivalry game between undefeated teams Colonia kept coming and Woodbridge would counter with a highlight-film play of its own Woodbridge held on for a 42-39 win on a warm Saturday before a packed crowd More: Football results: Big Central Conference and area roundup for Week 3 More: Football live scoreboard, Big Central Conference coverage links: Week 3 Jahmir Beal bolted for a first down with a minute left to seal the victory The Woodbridge players went on the handshake line with no wild celebrations they smiled and hollered when getting the “Bragging Rights” trophy in a series that goes back to 1967 between the Woodbridge Township teams The Barrons also earned the program’s 500th win dating to 1924 One can’t imagine many games being more entertaining through the years Woodbridge led 35-16 entering the fourth quarter Colonia rallied with 23 points but the Barrons’ big-play ability won out in the end in the Big Central Conference Liberty Gold contest it just felt like every time we touched the ball we had a score,” Woodbridge quarterback Derek Anderson said They pounded the ball on us on that wing-T … I think it just goes to show the fight and the team camaraderie that we have.” Anderson threw for 191 yards (5-for-8) and three touchdowns Two went to his twin Bryan down the middle (38 and 49 yards) and another was a 76-yard bomb to Sincere Barner Beal rushed for 197 yards on 15 carries and ripped an 80-yard touchdown run on the team’s first play from scrimmage Beal found space for a 48-yard scoring scamper Jeremiah Allen scored on a 24-yard interception return as the Barrons surprisingly led 21-0 with 6:01 left in the first quarter Izaiah Toliver was 6-for-6 in extra point attempts Woodbridge (4-0), ranked No. 4 in the MyCentralJersey BCC Top 15 surpassed 40 points for the second game in a row 7 Colonia (3-1) also showed they’re a worthy squad Junior quarterback Dylan Chiera threw for 230 yards (17-for-28) with four touchdowns including a 22-yard screen pass to Kyle Bell a pair to Nygel Hill and one to Julien Jones Anthony Garofalo drilled a 33-yard field goal Bell scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 Colonia made a stop on a fourth-and-one from midfield and RJ Wortman made a diving catch to set up another score Colonia recovered two fumbles (Hill and George Simpson) that led to touchdowns in the first half that kept it close “Team win – a lot of guys stepped up today.” There was no doubt that Colonia was going for it late in a tied game against Linden the Patriots are coming together with several new starters operating with confidence So on a fourth-and-three from its own 46 with 1:50 left Colonia called a timeout and emerged without a punter Dylan Chiera threw downfield to Nygel Hill Anthony Garofalo’s extra point made it 21-14 and the Patriots held on to take Saturday’s Big Central Conference Liberty Gold Division game Football live scoreboard, Big Central Conference coverage links: Week 2 Football results: Big Central Conference and area roundup for Week 2 Colonia’s 3-0 start includes an overtime win while Linden (1-2) has a pair of losses by a touchdown apiece The warm afternoon game was tight as expected with Colonia prevailing at the end “I think it was more just of a team effort,” Hill said “All the guys out here did what they had to do.” Colonia struck on its first play from scrimmage following a Linden punt who caught it around the 20-yard line and took off for the 41-yard touchdown at 9:32 for the 7-0 lead Forget about a shootout with the defenses coming through A snapshot: Colonia stopped Linden on a fourth-and-three from the 5 on Julien Jones’ tackle late in the first quarter The Patriots moved the ball all the way to Linden’s 14-yard line as Yisrael Custudio broke for a handful of runs the Tigers’ Tyrone Hinton recovered a fumble on the handoff 75-yard drive that spanned 3:13 before halftime The quarterback Hinton reeled off a 14-yard run and threw a 23-yard pass to Joe Boyle who also had a 15-yard scamper to keep it moving Hinton capped it by scrambling to his left and heaving a pass that Richard Lugardo caught for a 10-yard score on the right side with 23 seconds remaining Chris Garcia’s extra point made it 7-7 heading into halftime The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter after Linden scored on a 1-yard run with 11:02 left Colonia made it 14-14 on Custudio’s 9-yard run with 6:06 left on a drive helped by two long passes from Chiera to Hill Colonia coach Tom Roarty said they have confidence in the offense and defense and at that point in the game “let’s keep it in our quarterback’s hands (Offensive coordinator) Ryan DonDiego called a great play there Chiera said it was on him if he wanted to run or look for a pass We ended up taking Nygel on our seam route.”