Credits

TRENTON - Gov. Christie signed legislation Monday aimed at encouraging the continued growth of New Jersey's solar industry while protecting ratepayers from increased costs. The measure, which had strong bipartisan support in the Legislature, increases the percentage of the total that power utilities must derive from solar energy from about 2 percent a year to more than 4 percent by 2028. The state goal overall is to generate 23.5 percent of New Jersey's energy from solar. Proponents said the law should help increase prices for the solar-subsidy credits, which utilities buy from solar producers and should keep the solar industry healthy by saving thousands of jobs and making it a more attractive venture.

If Democrat Michael Nutter is elected mayor in November, he'll have a few things in common with another well-educated African-American reform mayor: Corey Booker of Newark, N.J. CORY BOOKER Age - 38 Education - Stanford, Yale Law, Oxford University Message - Promised to reform city government following a scandal-plagued administration Screen credits - "Street Fight," a documentary on his 2002 campaign Look - Bald ...

If every week of the year had a slogan, this week's would be: "Out with the old, in with the new. " But if you're making room for a new TV or laptop, you can't just chuck the old ones in the trash. Most electronic devices contain toxic elements like lead, mercury, silicon, and cadmium that can contaminate landfills. The plastic on the outside and the precious metals on the inside should be recycled - and might even bring in a profit for a local charity. Perhaps more important, starting Jan. 24, Pennsylvania laws will bar putting computers, monitors, laptops, keyboards, printers, or TVs in with the regular trash.

Riverside High will have to forfeit two football victories because it used an ineligible player. The NJSIAA has penalized the Rams for using the player in a 35-0 win over Maple Shade on Sept. 25 and a 42-7 triumph over Palmyra on Oct. 2. Instead of being 3-1, the Rams are now 1-3. School officials declined to comment, saying that all questions on the matter should be directed to the NJSIAA. "The forfeits will stand," Boyd Sands, the NJSIAA executive director, said yesterday.

Beginning with those who enroll in September, students who graduate with an associate in applied science degree in high technology from Camden County College will be guaranteed admission to the junior class in the industrial technology program at Glassboro State College. John TenBrook, dean of business administration and high technology at Camden County College, said the 65 or 66 credits received by students awarded the associate's degree at Camden County College would be accepted toward a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology at Glassboro.

Bensalem school officials said last week they were surprised by the quick and large response from teachers to plans for the first graduate-level course to be offered by the school district's Bensalem Academy. Originally, there was to be room for 23 teachers, but the course drew interest from 31 teachers in the first three days it was advertised, Assistant Superintendent David Archibald told the school board Wednesday during the monthly agenda meeting. Because of the surge of interest in the course, called "Writing Across the Curriculum With Computers," the board decided to split the course into two groups to be taught by two computer teachers.

A law signed Thursday by Gov. Christie pushed New Jersey a big step forward in the race to become the first state to erect offshore wind turbines. Legislators said the action could bring hundreds of green-energy jobs to Paulsboro, which they hope will become a hub of turbine manufacturing. Christie hopes to secure the title of first in the nation to attract developers and manufacturers associated with wind power. The law applies the same tool that helped the state become second, behind California, in solar-power.

The Springfield High School Class of 1990 will have to meet new graduation requirements because the school board voted 6-0, with three members absent, to adopt a new policy at last week's meeting. But the new policy is not much different from the old policy, which was far tougher than that required by the state, according to Superintendent of Schools Charles McLaughlin. "Eighty-five to ninety percent of our students were already fulfilling or exceeding the requirements set forth by the state board of education," McLaughlin said after the Thursday night meeting.

The Bensalem Township school board decided on Tuesday to establish an academy where its teachers could take graduate-level courses, but only for a probationary period of one year. Assistant Superintendent David Archibald, who serves on the staff development committee that proposed the academy in August 1988, said the probationary period would allay the board's concerns over the financial impact the Bensalem Academy for Professional Development would have. Archibald said he expected the administration to come back to the board in December with a request to run the first academy course early next year.

The former zoning officer of Phoenixville Borough took the stand in his conspiracy and theft trial yesterday and testified that he was following established procedures of the borough manager in giving credits to developers. Robert Carter, who headed the codes enforcement office until he was dismissed Feb. 12, 1991, testified in Chester County Court that then-Borough Manager William Herman told him to facilitate development in the borough by working with developers. "I also made attempts to facilitate (building)