By Tommy DeSeno, also published in the April 26 edition of the triCityNews
In the last issue of Justified Right we printed Part One of this series, wherein the “Moynihan Report” of 1965 was revisited for its thesis that the reason poor black children in America struggle is due to the absence of a father in the household.
Statistics, as pointed out in that report, reveal that the nuclear Black family with both parents in the household see their children grow up on average with higher IQs, less crime and more financial success than their single mother counterparts.
Trenton, NJ – With 25 years coaching experience, Alex DePalma was searching to make a difference in a new arena. So in 2009, he began the Brick Stars Challenger Program to bring together children and adults with developmental disabilities for an hour each Sunday to teach them to play and enjoy the game of ice hockey. To honor the commitment, success and remarkable growth of the Brick Stars Challenger Program, First Lady Mary Pat Christie today joined Alex DePalma on center ice at the Ocean Ice Palace in Brick to name him the fourth New Jersey Hero of 2012.
“Through the game of hockey, Alex has found a creative opportunity to encourage children and adults with Autism and other developmental disabilities to learn valuable life skills that will help these players overcome challenges in becoming more confident and independent individuals,” said Mrs. Christie. “Seeing the joy each skater is experiencing as well as the pride expressed by their parents makes this an incredibly inspiring program. I am proud to name Alex DePalma our New Jersey Hero for the month of April.”
The Brick Stars Challenger Program is for participants between the ages of 5 and 21 who have a developmental disability, such as Autism. The program, which helps players learn fundamental skills, began with just 8 players in 2009. By the end of the first season, it had a total of 25 players, making it the fastest growing special needs program in New Jersey.
“When I received a call that I had been selected as the New Jersey Hero for the month of April by First Lady Mary Pat Christie, I was extremely honored and very proud to represent our Stars Challenger Hockey program,” said Brick Hockey Club ACE & Stars Director Alex DePalma. “The players and parents involved in the Stars program show amazing courage and determination every week, inspiring and enriching the lives of all who volunteer their time to teach these amazing kids how to play hockey. They are truly our heroes.”
The Brick Stars Challenger Program is part of the Brick Hockey Club Organization and is a 501c (3) organization. Coaches are USA Hockey certified and the program is operated by volunteers consisting of local coaches, current and past Hockey Club members as well as local high school players.
New Jersey Heroes is an initiative of First Lady Mary Pat Christie that showcases the positive and unique ways people and organizations are impacting New Jersey and their communities. To nominate a hero, go to http://newjerseyheroes.org and follow the application instructions to submit the person you believe is a true New Jersey Hero.
In addition, Autism Awareness is an advocacy area embraced by Mrs. Christie to bring greater understanding of the developmental disability. Throughout the year, she highlights the innovative work being done by organizations throughout the state to serve people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Bob Ingle writes this morning that the government is protecting its butt by keeping documentation of escorts classified.
Bob is writing of the New Jersey State Police luxury sport car escorts that have been in the news recently. Not the Secret Service’s recreational activities.
Ingle is the co-author with Sandy McClure of The Soprano State, the New York Times bestseller about New Jersey’s culture or corruption. His new book, written with fellow Gannett reporter Michael Symons, Chris Chrisite: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power, arrives in book stores on May 22. Pre-orders are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million.
In response to customer and government complaints about communications during power outages resulting from last year’s storms, JCP& L has created an interactive website that lets customers report outages. The site provides real time data including the number of people affected, estimated restoration times, photos and videos of damage and restoration efforts, according to a report on NJBIZ.
The site is hosted by Amazon.com’s servers so that it can be accessed in the event that power outages disable JCP&L’s primary site. It can be accessed by desktops, smartphones and mobile devices.
In the wake of Mitt Romney’s sweep of yesterday’s primaries in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut, FoxNews is reporting that former House Speaker New Gingrich will cease being an active candidate for the GOP presidential nomination next Tuesday.
Fox quotes a source saying that Gingrich will “more than likely” endorse Romney.
CommVault,the Oceanport based Lucent spinoff that is growing at a pace of about 24% per year, has proposed moving it headquarters to the Tinton Falls portion of Fort Monmouth where the company will build a 650,000 square foot facility. CommVault has revenues of about $400 million per year and employs over 1200 people.
The Asbury Park Press reportsthat Oceanport did not support the revisions to the Fort Monmouth Redevelopment Authority’s development plan to accommodate CommVault. Eatontown and Tinton Falls, the other municipalities that host Fort Monmouth, did approve the proposed revisions.
While Oceanport’s disappointment over losing such a fine company is understandable, CommVault has outgrown its current homeand will move out of its Oceanport facility anyway. The company was eyeing the Avaya site in Middletown prior to choosing Fort Monmouth. Monmouth County is fortunate that the company has chosen has chosen to stay here.
Charles (Chuck) McFadden, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s father, died surrounded by his family today, after long and courageous battle with prostate cancer. He was 79 years old.
Our prayers and condolences go out to the family.
Governor Chris Christie issued the following statement:
“Mary Pat and I were deeply saddened today to learn of Chuck McFadden’s passing following a courageous battle with cancer. Chuck’s was a life of service to his country, a career in broadcasting and media, and, most importantly, as a loving family man who shared his values of service and community. Dealing with the loss of a parent is beyond difficult, and only possible through the strength and comfort of family and friends. The thoughts and prayers of Mary Pat and our entire family are with his wife Pat, Kim and their family today.”
