Providing another significant marker of the broad support earned by Governor Christie and his strong, effective leadership for the state, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson and 10 members of the state’s African American clergy community today endorsed the Governor’s reelection.
Bishop Jackson’s support represents yet another new, important endorsement earned by Governor Christie in 2013 that was received by his opponent in 2009, and a powerful signal of support from one of New Jersey’s most prominent African American leaders.
“Those who know me know that, for me, the most important issue in this state is education, particularly education of low income and minority children. Governor Christie has not only made education a priority, but he has been vocal and strong in his commitment to see that every child in the State of New Jersey gets a good education," said Bishop Reginald T. Jackson. "This governor has tried to ensure our children a quality education, which will give them standing in society, and opportunity for a bright future, not only for them, but also our communities. I and my colleagues here today gladly, strongly, and unapologetically endorse him for reelection and commit to work with him as he seeks to help our children."
For more than 30 years, Bishop Jackson served as Pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Orange, NJ. During that time, he established himself as a strong voice and leader on issues confronting his community. Bishop Jackson also held the leadership role of Executive Director of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, where he represented more than 600 African American churches throughout the state. He became an Elected and Consecrated Bishop in 2012.
“For years, Bishop Jackson has been a genuine and impassioned voice on some of the most pressing issues to our state’s future. His friendship and partnership has been essential in the progress we’ve made over the last four years on important issues like reforming education, fighting for the Opportunity Scholarship Act, and working together closely to increase diversity in the ranks of the State Police,” said Governor Christie. “His support in this campaign is just the next development in what has been one of the most important and cherished relationships I’ve developed since becoming governor. I thank him for his support today and his friendship, and look forward to our continued work together.”
Bishop Jackson was accompanied by a group of 8 ministers and clergy members from across New Jersey who also offered their support and endorsement of Governor Chris Christie. The 10 ministers to endorse Governor Christie include: Rev. J Stanley Justice of Mt. Zion AME Church in Trenton; Rev. Wayne Griffith of First Baptist Church in Pennington; Rev. Linda Ellerbe of Mt. Pisgah in Lawnside; Rev. Sidney Williams of Bethel AME Church in Morristown; Rev. Joseph Hooper of Mt. Zion AME Church in New Brunswick; Rev. Ronald Slaughter of St. James AME Church in Newark; Rev. Dennis Hughes of Bethel AME Church in Vauxhall; Rev. Ron Christian of Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington; Rev. Erika Crawford of Ebenezer AME Church in Rahway; Rev. Robert Jackson of Mt Zion AME Church in Bridgeton. Their support provides another reflection of the Governor’s commitment to protecting and providing for New Jersey’s most vulnerable citizens.
In June, along with eleven elected officials from Essex County, Governor Christie was endorsed by a dozen leaders of the state’s African American clergy community. The Governor has earned strong support from across the state and political spectrum, many of which represent new endorsements in 2013 that were not received in 2009, including 32 elected Democrats, 21 building trades organizations, the National Coalition of Latino Officers, the Career Fire Chiefs Association, and leaders of the Hispanic and African American communities.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Christie Announces Buy Out Of 85 Damaged Homes
The Christie Administration today announced that an application has been filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the acquisition and demolition of 85 homes from willing sellers in Superstorm Sandy battered sections of South River and Sayreville in Middlesex County at an estimated cost of $18.1 million.
This adds to the 129 Sayreville homes already approved for buyouts by FEMA, which previously awarded nearly $29.5 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for those purchases. This is part of the Christie Administration’s overall plan to acquire some 1,000 homes impacted by Sandy and another 300 repetitively flood-damaged homes in the Passaic River Basin at a total estimated cost of $300 million.
The first offers to willing seller homeowners from the first round of applications in Sayreville are expected to begin within two weeks through the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Blue Acres Program, with the first closings completed within one year, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.
“The Christie Administration is committed to expediting the process of moving willing sellers in flood-prone areas out of harm’s way as quickly as possible,” said Commissioner Martin. “We are working closely with FEMA to get these applications processed promptly, and with minimal red tape, so that families who have been impacted negatively by Sandy can move on with their lives and start over again, free from the worry of flooding. We know these are huge and difficult choices for families to make, to sell their homes and move from places they have long lived. We are committed to moving this process along as quickly and smoothly as possible for these residents.”
The latest application to FEMA includes the acquisition of 76 properties in South River and 9 in Sayreville. In addition to providing fair market, pre-Sandy payouts to residents, the acquisition and demolition of these properties will eliminate the need for future disaster assistance since the land where these homes once stood will be maintained as open-space in perpetuity.
An invitation-only meeting will be scheduled for the owners of these 85 properties with representatives of the DEP, FEMA and other key agencies in the near future to begin to help ease them through the buyout process.
Meanwhile, the state will continue to submit buyout applications to FEMA for other properties on a rolling basis over the next several months. The state is particularly targeting clusters of homes and entire neighborhoods for buyouts. The homes will be razed and the land will be maintained as open space that can handle future flood waters.
The DEP has created a special team to work closely with willing sellers and process their applications as quickly as possible. Case managers are working with individual homeowners personally to help guide them through the process.
The buyout program is a joint effort of the DEP, State Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DEP administers all Blue Acres purchases and OEM handles the financing through FEMA.
The initial Blue Acres Program targeted purchase of lands in floodways in the Delaware, Passaic and Raritan rivers basins, but was later expanded to include all state waters. Eligible properties are those that have been storm damaged, that are prone to incurring storm damage, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage.
Homeowners interested in selling their homes through this process may contact the DEP’s Blue Acres Program at 609-984-0500.
For more information on the Blue Acres Program, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/greenacres/blue_flood_ac.html.
For information on Sandy Recovery, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/.
This adds to the 129 Sayreville homes already approved for buyouts by FEMA, which previously awarded nearly $29.5 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding for those purchases. This is part of the Christie Administration’s overall plan to acquire some 1,000 homes impacted by Sandy and another 300 repetitively flood-damaged homes in the Passaic River Basin at a total estimated cost of $300 million.
The first offers to willing seller homeowners from the first round of applications in Sayreville are expected to begin within two weeks through the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Blue Acres Program, with the first closings completed within one year, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.
“The Christie Administration is committed to expediting the process of moving willing sellers in flood-prone areas out of harm’s way as quickly as possible,” said Commissioner Martin. “We are working closely with FEMA to get these applications processed promptly, and with minimal red tape, so that families who have been impacted negatively by Sandy can move on with their lives and start over again, free from the worry of flooding. We know these are huge and difficult choices for families to make, to sell their homes and move from places they have long lived. We are committed to moving this process along as quickly and smoothly as possible for these residents.”
The latest application to FEMA includes the acquisition of 76 properties in South River and 9 in Sayreville. In addition to providing fair market, pre-Sandy payouts to residents, the acquisition and demolition of these properties will eliminate the need for future disaster assistance since the land where these homes once stood will be maintained as open-space in perpetuity.
An invitation-only meeting will be scheduled for the owners of these 85 properties with representatives of the DEP, FEMA and other key agencies in the near future to begin to help ease them through the buyout process.
Meanwhile, the state will continue to submit buyout applications to FEMA for other properties on a rolling basis over the next several months. The state is particularly targeting clusters of homes and entire neighborhoods for buyouts. The homes will be razed and the land will be maintained as open space that can handle future flood waters.
The DEP has created a special team to work closely with willing sellers and process their applications as quickly as possible. Case managers are working with individual homeowners personally to help guide them through the process.
The buyout program is a joint effort of the DEP, State Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DEP administers all Blue Acres purchases and OEM handles the financing through FEMA.
The initial Blue Acres Program targeted purchase of lands in floodways in the Delaware, Passaic and Raritan rivers basins, but was later expanded to include all state waters. Eligible properties are those that have been storm damaged, that are prone to incurring storm damage, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage.
Homeowners interested in selling their homes through this process may contact the DEP’s Blue Acres Program at 609-984-0500.
For more information on the Blue Acres Program, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/greenacres/blue_flood_ac.html.
For information on Sandy Recovery, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/.
Pope: 'Jesus Does Not Want To Act Alone'
At midday, following the Holy Mass celebrated on the Day for seminarians, novices and those discerning their vocations, in the context of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
The Bishop of Rome appealed to all those present to pray for the participants in this Day, “that their love for Christ might mature more and more in their lives and that they might become true missionaries of God's Kingdom”, and then went on to comment on this Sunday's gospel, relating it to the call to the vocation.
“Jesus is not an isolated missionary”, he said; “he does not want to fulfill his mission alone, but involves his disciples. Today we see that, in addition to the Twelve Apostles, He calls seventy-two others, and sends them into the villages, two by two, to announce that the Kingdom of God is near. This is very beautiful! Jesus does not want to act alone, He has come to bring to the world the love of God and wants to spread that love with communion and fraternity. For this reason, he immediately forms a community of disciples, a missionary community, and trains them for the mission”.
“Beware, however: the purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together – no, the purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! There is no time to waste in small talk, no need to wait for the consent of all – it is necessary to go out and proclaim. The peace of Christ is to be brought to everyone, and if some do not welcome it, then you go on. Healing is to be brought to the sick, as God wishes to heal man from all evil. How many missionaries do this! They sow life, health, comfort in the peripheries of the world”.
“These seventy-two disciples, whom Jesus sent ahead of him, who are they? Whom do they represent? If the Twelve are the Apostles, and therefore also represent the Bishops, their successors, these may represent seventy-two other ordained ministers – priests and deacons – but in a wider sense we can think of other ministries in the Church, catechists and lay faithful who engage in parish missions, those who work with the sick, with the various forms of discomfort and alienation, but always as missionaries of the Gospel, with the urgency of the Kingdom that is at hand. Everyone must become missionaries, everyone can hear Jesus' call and go on to proclaim His kingdom!
“The Gospel says that those seventy-two returned from their mission full of joy, because they had experienced the power of the Name of Christ against evil. … We should not boast as if we were the protagonists: the protagonist is the Lord and His grace. Our joy is only this: in being His disciples, His friends. … Do not be afraid of being joyful! … It is the joy that the Lord gives us when we let Him enter into our lives and invite us to go forth into the peripheries of life and announce the Gospel, with joy and courage!”
After the Angelus, Pope Francis mentioned that two days ago his first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei” (On the Light of Faith) was published. Pope Benedict XVI had started this encyclical for the Year of Faith and to follow the previous encyclicals dedicated to love and hope. “I picked up this fine project and completed it. I offer it with joy to the whole People of God: indeed, today more than ever before, we need to return to the essentials of the Christian faith, to deepen it, and to measure current issues by it. I think that this encyclical, at least in some parts, can also be useful to those who are searching for God and for the meaning of life. I entrust it to the hands of Mary, the perfect icon of faith, that it may bring the fruits the Lord wishes”.
The Holy Father went on to greet the young people of the diocese of Rome who are preparing to go to Rio de Janeiro to participate in World Youth Day. “Dear young people, I too am preparing! Let us walk together towards this great celebration of faith! May Our Lady accompany us”.
Finally, he greeted the Franciscan Sisters and the Rosminian Angeline Sisters, who are holding their General Chapters, and the leaders of the Community of Sant'Egidio who have come to Rome from various countries to attend a training course.
The Bishop of Rome appealed to all those present to pray for the participants in this Day, “that their love for Christ might mature more and more in their lives and that they might become true missionaries of God's Kingdom”, and then went on to comment on this Sunday's gospel, relating it to the call to the vocation.
“Jesus is not an isolated missionary”, he said; “he does not want to fulfill his mission alone, but involves his disciples. Today we see that, in addition to the Twelve Apostles, He calls seventy-two others, and sends them into the villages, two by two, to announce that the Kingdom of God is near. This is very beautiful! Jesus does not want to act alone, He has come to bring to the world the love of God and wants to spread that love with communion and fraternity. For this reason, he immediately forms a community of disciples, a missionary community, and trains them for the mission”.
“Beware, however: the purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together – no, the purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! There is no time to waste in small talk, no need to wait for the consent of all – it is necessary to go out and proclaim. The peace of Christ is to be brought to everyone, and if some do not welcome it, then you go on. Healing is to be brought to the sick, as God wishes to heal man from all evil. How many missionaries do this! They sow life, health, comfort in the peripheries of the world”.
“These seventy-two disciples, whom Jesus sent ahead of him, who are they? Whom do they represent? If the Twelve are the Apostles, and therefore also represent the Bishops, their successors, these may represent seventy-two other ordained ministers – priests and deacons – but in a wider sense we can think of other ministries in the Church, catechists and lay faithful who engage in parish missions, those who work with the sick, with the various forms of discomfort and alienation, but always as missionaries of the Gospel, with the urgency of the Kingdom that is at hand. Everyone must become missionaries, everyone can hear Jesus' call and go on to proclaim His kingdom!
“The Gospel says that those seventy-two returned from their mission full of joy, because they had experienced the power of the Name of Christ against evil. … We should not boast as if we were the protagonists: the protagonist is the Lord and His grace. Our joy is only this: in being His disciples, His friends. … Do not be afraid of being joyful! … It is the joy that the Lord gives us when we let Him enter into our lives and invite us to go forth into the peripheries of life and announce the Gospel, with joy and courage!”
After the Angelus, Pope Francis mentioned that two days ago his first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei” (On the Light of Faith) was published. Pope Benedict XVI had started this encyclical for the Year of Faith and to follow the previous encyclicals dedicated to love and hope. “I picked up this fine project and completed it. I offer it with joy to the whole People of God: indeed, today more than ever before, we need to return to the essentials of the Christian faith, to deepen it, and to measure current issues by it. I think that this encyclical, at least in some parts, can also be useful to those who are searching for God and for the meaning of life. I entrust it to the hands of Mary, the perfect icon of faith, that it may bring the fruits the Lord wishes”.
The Holy Father went on to greet the young people of the diocese of Rome who are preparing to go to Rio de Janeiro to participate in World Youth Day. “Dear young people, I too am preparing! Let us walk together towards this great celebration of faith! May Our Lady accompany us”.
Finally, he greeted the Franciscan Sisters and the Rosminian Angeline Sisters, who are holding their General Chapters, and the leaders of the Community of Sant'Egidio who have come to Rome from various countries to attend a training course.
Old Fashioned Fried Fish, Chips And Cole Slaw
At most any seaside resort you'll find dozens of seafood restaurants serving all kinds of fish every which way. Hilton Head is no different.
At The Black Marlin you'll find the largest selection of fresh-caught fish, seafood and delicious hand-cut steaks, all in a relaxing atmosphere. Located dockside at Palmetto Bay Marina, you can dine indoors or outdoors on the expansive patio with great Hilton Head sunset and water views. You will enjoy appetizers like the award-winning Sushi Nachos or Fish Tacos from the waterside Hurricane Bar. The newly expanded Hurricane Bar also features Fat Tuesday Frozen Daiquiris.
And here's the thing: The large variety of fish is served any way you like it. You can have your fish marinated, baked, seared, grilled or, that old reliable -- fried!
We choose our flounder breaded and fried with the traditional french fries and cole slaw served with both cocktail sauce and tarter sauce. It was what we were in the mood for. And it was perfecto!
But we also tried the grilled, glazed salmon with mushrooms and that was equally delicious.
The dishes are show above exactly as served.
Each dish shined in its own way -- one a traditional fish house treat; the other a bit more noveau.
And, BTW: Our waiter (Will) was wonderful. Will is a native of the area who will be making a rare trip to Manhattan with his family this December to enjoy the Christmas season in the city. We gave him some tips on what to see and where to dine and he was most appreciative.
A beautiful, memorable evening!
Photos copyright 2013 by Dan Cirucci.
The Enchanting Colors Of Hilton Head Island
We talk a walk near the beach on beautiful Hilton Head Island and came across more of the magnificent colors of South Carolina's Low Country.
We thought we'd share them with you!
Photos copyright 2013 by Dan Cirucci.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Ten MORE Summer Trends We Hate
Our first list of Ten Summer Trends That We Hate was a huge hit. Hundreds tuned in for it.
So, we're back with more. Yes, here are ten MORE summer trends we hate. Pay attention! Here we go:
1) Back-to-School sales in July. Talk about rushing the season! What the hell's this all about?
2) Tiny porkpie hats on big, burly men. We know the porkpie and the fedora have both made a comeback. But if you're over a certain weight, they just look ridiculous. Guys, to pull this off it's best to look like Don Draper, OK?
3) Tank tops. Hey, they're not even in style anymore. Plus, more often than not both men and women who wear them really don't have much to show off. Ditch them!
4) Food on a stick. If you're eating anything on a stick it's probably loaded with fat or grease or sugar and more calories than you can imagine. Eating off a stick is for animals, not humans.
5) Taking your cooler with you everywhere -- especially into a hotel. C'mon, you don't really wanna lug that cooler through the lobby and into a hotel room, do you? Get real!
6) Frozen, chocolate-covered bananas. We hate bananas year-round and we're convinced you should never eat bananas in public, especially chocolate covered ones. Nothing about this is fun: not the smell, not the look, not the texture.
7) Cellulite. It's unsightly. Please, please, please cover it up.
8) Guys wearing gangsta-bloomers instead of bathing trunks. You know what we're talking about: NBA-style, shiny, to-the-calf, saggy shorts. Yeah, that's a gangsta-bloomer!
9) Flashing bling at the beach. Gals, save your bling for the evening. The beach is bright enough already.
10) FroYo. If we see one more frozen yogurt shop filled with loud, obnoxious pre-teens or self-conscious yuppies we're gonna take the first flight to Rome and enjoy some genuine gelato -- or head to Capogiro. Have the real thing or nothing!
So, we're back with more. Yes, here are ten MORE summer trends we hate. Pay attention! Here we go:
1) Back-to-School sales in July. Talk about rushing the season! What the hell's this all about?
2) Tiny porkpie hats on big, burly men. We know the porkpie and the fedora have both made a comeback. But if you're over a certain weight, they just look ridiculous. Guys, to pull this off it's best to look like Don Draper, OK?
3) Tank tops. Hey, they're not even in style anymore. Plus, more often than not both men and women who wear them really don't have much to show off. Ditch them!
4) Food on a stick. If you're eating anything on a stick it's probably loaded with fat or grease or sugar and more calories than you can imagine. Eating off a stick is for animals, not humans.
5) Taking your cooler with you everywhere -- especially into a hotel. C'mon, you don't really wanna lug that cooler through the lobby and into a hotel room, do you? Get real!
6) Frozen, chocolate-covered bananas. We hate bananas year-round and we're convinced you should never eat bananas in public, especially chocolate covered ones. Nothing about this is fun: not the smell, not the look, not the texture.
7) Cellulite. It's unsightly. Please, please, please cover it up.
8) Guys wearing gangsta-bloomers instead of bathing trunks. You know what we're talking about: NBA-style, shiny, to-the-calf, saggy shorts. Yeah, that's a gangsta-bloomer!
9) Flashing bling at the beach. Gals, save your bling for the evening. The beach is bright enough already.
10) FroYo. If we see one more frozen yogurt shop filled with loud, obnoxious pre-teens or self-conscious yuppies we're gonna take the first flight to Rome and enjoy some genuine gelato -- or head to Capogiro. Have the real thing or nothing!
USA, Russia France, Germany Attract Most Visitors
Source-nations for visits to Dan Cirucci Blog over the past week:
If We're Writing About It, We Probably Like It
Here's the deal: If we're taking the time to write about a restaurant, a movie, a play, an art exhibition or a travel destination it's probably because we liked it.
Get it?
We don't waste a lot of time writing about things we don't (or didn't) enjoy.
Unless we tell you otherwise, we are usually not remunerated in any way for our reviews or observations. We call them as we see them. And yes, sometimes we will pan a movie or a play or a performance or an eatery. In some cases, we won't hesitate to tell you if the situation is really, really bad.
But if something is truly forgettable, then we're more likely to simply forget about it. And we'll likely not write about it here.
Politics, power-brokers and celebrities are quite another matter. In those cases, we do tell you in no uncertain terms who and what we like and who and what we don't like. Why? Because politics and power brokers and the popular culture that the attention-grabers feed on are just too damned important not to lay it all our for you.
When it comes to who should be in office and what policies they should be following -- when it comes to your life, your freedom and liberty and your future -- we do want to influence your thoughts and actions, in a good way. We want you to think the right way and vote the right way. We have a point of view and we're not shy about advancing it.
And we love to expose phonies and slay those who seize or use power without public approval (in many, many cases without even being elected) as well as those who abuse power at will. Our targets are elitism, arrogance and the trumped up, Oz-like world of those who would presume to redistribute your income, mess with the social order of your world, put your safety and security at risk or limit competition, the free enterprise system and the free-exchange of ideas.
There, we won't hesitate to identify targets and go after them.
Our philosophy: Live life to the fullest and share abundantly to make a difference for the better.
So, now that you know what we're all about, stay tuned.
Because we're out to provoke, inspire and have fun.
Get it?
We don't waste a lot of time writing about things we don't (or didn't) enjoy.
Unless we tell you otherwise, we are usually not remunerated in any way for our reviews or observations. We call them as we see them. And yes, sometimes we will pan a movie or a play or a performance or an eatery. In some cases, we won't hesitate to tell you if the situation is really, really bad.
But if something is truly forgettable, then we're more likely to simply forget about it. And we'll likely not write about it here.
Politics, power-brokers and celebrities are quite another matter. In those cases, we do tell you in no uncertain terms who and what we like and who and what we don't like. Why? Because politics and power brokers and the popular culture that the attention-grabers feed on are just too damned important not to lay it all our for you.
When it comes to who should be in office and what policies they should be following -- when it comes to your life, your freedom and liberty and your future -- we do want to influence your thoughts and actions, in a good way. We want you to think the right way and vote the right way. We have a point of view and we're not shy about advancing it.
And we love to expose phonies and slay those who seize or use power without public approval (in many, many cases without even being elected) as well as those who abuse power at will. Our targets are elitism, arrogance and the trumped up, Oz-like world of those who would presume to redistribute your income, mess with the social order of your world, put your safety and security at risk or limit competition, the free enterprise system and the free-exchange of ideas.
There, we won't hesitate to identify targets and go after them.
Our philosophy: Live life to the fullest and share abundantly to make a difference for the better.
So, now that you know what we're all about, stay tuned.
Because we're out to provoke, inspire and have fun.
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