Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A two-year battle for Blackwood's Patty DiRenzo ends in victory: 'Lives are going to be saved' from New Jersey's 911 Good Samaritan drug law, she says.
When Gov. Chris Christie at long last signed the 911 Good Samaritan bill, it signaled many things. No longer would bystanders be prosecuted for seeking help for an overdose victim. Drug addicts have a better shot at life. Maybe one less person will die alone and scared. All of these things ran through Blackwood’s Patty DiRenzo’s mind as she watched Christie turn the legislation she championed for years into law. But primarily, her mind was on her son, Sal. Sal, the guy who everyone loved. The guy who never had a nasty word for anyone. Once you were Sal’s friend, he was your lifelong defender. Sal, the 26-year-old who died from an accidental heroin overdose in exactly the circumstances the Good Samaritan law seeks to avoid. “It was almost …
The British prince was joined by Gov. Chris Christie in surveying the damage from Hurricane Sandy in Seaside Heights.
Britain's Prince Harry did what most people would do on a sunny, spring day in Seaside Heights—take in the ocean views, then play some boardwalk games. Harry came to Seaside Heights with Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday morning after the two toured destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking. The pair drove south on Route 35 and entered the boardwalk at Grant Avenue where crowds of people were waiting for their arrival. "Prince Harry, we love you," shouted one small girl who was holding a welcome sign. Standing next to her was an Elvis Presley impersonator, hoping to attract some attention of his own from the prince. Harry and Christie were greeted by local officials, who escorted the pair out to Casino Pier, the site of the now-…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Governor tells New York Post that Lap-Band procedure was done at the urging of his family. An NYU doctor made house calls to Christie's Mendham home to not draw attention to the surgery.
Gov. Chris Christie underwent stomach-shrinking Lap-Band surgery in February, he confirmed to the New York Post on Monday night while refuting speculation that he was slimming down for a White House run in 2016. Christie quietly had the Lap-Band — or laparoscopic adjustable gastric binding —procedure done in a New York hospital, telling the paper that he agreed to the surgery at the urging of his family after turning 50 in September. Sean Conner, a spokesperson for Christie, confirmed the story to Patch Tuesday. The governor insisted that the Lap-Band was not inserted to help him lose weight in the run-up to 2016. "I know it sounds crazy to say that running for president is minor, but in the grand scheme of things, it was looking at Mary …
Monday, March 25, 2013
The governor did not indicate if he would sign a bill outlawing the practice among minors.
Gov. Chris Christie has declared his opposition to the practice of "gay conversion" therapy but will not state whether he will sign a bill outlawing it should it pass the Legislature, NJ.com reports. The governor said Thursday he opposes treatment that seeks to alter sexual orientation after stating Wednesday that he was of "two minds" on the issue. "Gov. Christie does not believe in conversion therapy," spokesman Kevin Roberts said. "There is no mistaking his point of view on this when you look at his own prior statements where he makes clear that people’s sexual orientation is determined at birth." A bill to be considered by the full state Senate would prevent counselors from offering such treatment to minors, and those who violate the …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Gov. Chris Christie's budget proposal includes more money for Gloucester Township Public Schools and Black Horse Pike Regional School District.
The Gloucester Township and Black Horse Pike Regional school districts are slated to receive more money from the state next year than they did for the current school year. "I'm pleased to report to you that state aid figures were released today, and we did receive an increase in state aid. So, notwithstanding the federal cuts, if we do get those reductions, I think the increase in state aid might mitigate those," GTPS interim Superintendent John Bilodeau said Thursday evening. Bilodeau was of course referring to the highly publicized federal sequester set to take effect at 11:59 p.m. tonight (March 1) should Congress fail to reach a compromise. New Jersey would receive about $28 million less for education from the federal government under …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The governor's budget relies heavily on federal aid for Sandy—aid that might disappear with sequestration.
Progress is evident. Momentum is building. So says Gov. Chris Christie as he laid out his $32.9 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2014 at the Statehouse Tuesday. Christie said the state’s future, both economically and in recovery following Superstorm Sandy, is moving in the right direction. With talk of compromise and bipartisanship—as well as a few customary jabs at former Gov. Jon Corzine’s administration—Christie called on the state’s Legislature to keep it going, to make the conscious decision to help New Jersey return to a position of prosperity it once knew. Of course, it will do so with the help of funding from the federal government. Included in the governor’s proposed budget is just $40 million in supplemental aid for Sandy-…
The governor's proposed budget includes about $40 million in Sandy-related supplemental aid.
New Jersey’s recovery following Hurricane Sandy will come, officials and legislators at Tuesday’s budget introduction at the Statehouse in Trenton said, just don’t expect the state to pay for it. Among Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed $32.9 billion budget, only about $40 million has been set aside for Sandy-related recovery—all of it coming in the form of supplemental aid. Its intended use will only be as a stopgap during the process of the state’s securing aid for various recovery efforts. The negligible sum will have little impact on the state’s budget, according to New Jersey Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff. Instead, the state will lean on the federal government to cover the costs of New Jersey’s recovery, which is expected to reach …
Friday, February 22, 2013
A Quinnipiac University poll released this week shows Chris Christie with a big lead over his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono.
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Friday, February 22
Gov. Chris Christie is the best person to lead New Jersey over the next four years, according to voters polled in a survey released this week by Quinnipiac University. Christie, a Republican, leads his Democratic rival, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), 62 percent to 25 percent in the state's 2013 gubernatorial race, according to the poll. The governor's overall approval rating also remains high. Christie's 74 percent approval rating and 69 percent favorable rating tie his personal record highs from January, the Huffington Post reports, both numbers buoyed by public perception of the way he handled Hurricane Sandy's impact and its aftermath. Christie appears to have strong support on the other side of the aisle, as well. In the …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
'We will see you on the boardwalk,' says Brian Williams, news anchor and Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund new board member.
As a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday night, Gov. Chris Christie's witty banter and doughnut-eating may have made headlines, but he was quick to remind everyone that Hurricane Sandy relief is still needed. Christie and Letterman talked about the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund started by first lady Mary Pat Christie. She announced today that two major celebrities have joined the honorary advisory board. Bono, front man of U2, and NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will join Bruce Springsteen, former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, Jon Bon Jovi and others on the board. Bono called it “an honor” to support the relief efforts. “Sandy took away just about every piece of my Jersey Shore childhood,” said Williams, who is from …
Monday, January 28, 2013
Sweeney bows of the out of the race before it starts, saying his attention is needed to keep Democrats in control of the state Legislature.
Stephen M. Sweeney, the state Senate president and West Deptford resident, decided not to run for governor this year. Sweeney said on his Facebook page that his focus will center on keeping a Democratic majority in the state Legislature: After careful consideration and much deliberation, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2013. I've decided my work now needs to be focused on ensuring the Legislature remains in Democratic control. Is there any question about the havoc and pain a Republican Legislature would inflict on the middle class, labor, women and our seniors? For over a decade, New Jersey voters have ensured we have a strong Democratic majority in both houses and I view it as absolutely essential and my job to keep that streak …
cynthia
1:09 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thank you to the DiRenzo family for working so hard to get this passed. I think it is important. I know some people will not agree with it - I have seen many heartless comments on other sites about this issue. I don't think most people realize just how prevalent drugs are in our society and how many "good" kids are involved with drugs, even if just on an experimental basis. I hope this will save … more ›