Robert Schroeder's Blog

This morning, we laid to rest our friend and colleague, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce. I was privileged to attend his funeral mass and hear the beautiful eulogies given by his longtime pastor, Rev. Tony MacNaughton, Alex’s son PJ Johannesen, his friend and fellow crime victims rights advocate Richard Pompelio, Alex’s neighbor and good friend Justin Carifi, and the Honorable Governor Chris Christie.

Reverend MacNaughton spoke of Alex’s lifelong commitment to public service, and his devotion to his family. His son PJ spoke with love and admiration for all of the lessons he learned from his father. Rich Pompelio recounted Alex’s steadfast determination to supporting crime victims and securing their rights, while young Justin spoke with emotional honesty about the simple joys of friendship that he and Alex shared.  Governor Christie summed it all up when he referred to Alex DeCroce as “the poster boy for a life well lived.”

I am grateful to have known and worked with Alex DeCroce during my time in the Assembly. He was a colleague, a mentor and a friend, and he will be greatly missed.

In Sept. 2009, I attended a rally in support of re-opening PVH, along with then-candidates Chris Christie & Kim Guadagno, Senator Cardinale, and many others from Bergen County.

On Tuesday, November 29 at 9:30am, the State Health Planning Board will review the Certificate of Need application to open a full-service hospital at HUMC-North at Pascack Valley Hospital. The hearing will be held at The National Conference Center at the Holiday Inn in East Windsor (339 Monmouth Street). The SHPB will also make their recommendation to the Department of Health and Senior Services.

I have spoken out on this issue for several years, and strongly support the re-opening of full-service hospital at Pascack Valley.  Members of the public are encouraged to attend the hearing and let their opinions be heard.  I will be publicly voicing my support once again at this important hearing, and I hope you will join me.

There will be buses leaving from the Front Parking Lot of HUMC-North/Pascack Valley for those in our area who wish to attend the hearing.  Please call  (201) 996-3766 to reserve a seat on the bus. If you would like to speak at the hearing, please visit HackensackUMCpv.org for more information.

This afternoon, I was honored to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Day Center at Family Promise of Bergen County in Ridgewood.

Family Promise is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that provides a variety of helpful resources for families in need.  They offer shelter, food, and support services for the homeless, the hungry, and families in need in Bergen County.  According to the latest figures from the New Jersey Corporation for Supportive Housing, nearly 13,000 people are homeless in New Jersey, and Bergen County ranks 2nd amongst the counties in our state for homelessness.  With current economic conditions and the high rate of unemployment in our country, organizations like Family Promise are needed now more than ever.

The new Day Center in Ridgewood, New Jersey is a safe, central meeting place where families can gather during the day. There are telephones and computers available to help those who are job-hunting, as well as shower and laundry facilities for the families. Care managers are also available to offer advice, support and encouragement.

Family Promise relies on donations and volunteers to keep them going, and has partnered with 21 host congregations across Bergen County. To find out more about how you can help, visit www.bergenfamilypromise.org.   I would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Executive Director Kate Duggan and her staff, for all of the wonderful, selfless work they do on behalf of Bergen County residents in need.

The beautiful 9/11 memorial at Veterans Park in Park Ridge, NJ

I had the honor of speaking this afternoon at the 10th Anniversary of September 11th Memorial Observance held in Veterans Park, Park Ridge, NJ.  I also presented a Joint Legislative Resolution to the American Legion Memorial Post #153, and a District 39 Legislative Citation. What follows is the text of my speech:

First, I want to thank the Park Ridge American Legion and the Mayor & Council for inviting me here today. I also thank the residents who are here with us, showing their support for the families of those seven men from Park Ridge who lost their lives on September 11^th, 2001.

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten involved in Victims’ Rights causes, and it’s given me a chance to work very closely with families who have suffered the loss of a loved one.  Their stories are all different, but I’ve learned that they all have one thing in common:  the fear that their loved one will be forgotten over time.  That once they’re gone, and time passes, no one but their families will remember that they ever existed.

We’re all wearing these pins today that say “Remember 9-11.” But for the families of the victims from Park Ridge that were lost on that day, they don’t need a reminder. They have spent the last 10 years, every day, remembering their son, brother, husband, father, and living with that loss. For them, every birthday, every holiday, every anniversary, starts out with a visit to the cemetery, or stopping at church to light a candle, or saying a prayer for the person that was taken from them too soon.

To the families that are here today, I want to assure you that we, as a community, realize that your loss was also our loss.  No matter how many years pass, we will remember those who lost their lives, not just today on the anniversary of their death, but always.

Paul Beatini, Joseph Keller, Joseph Maio, Ron Magnuson,

Paul Rizza, Scott Vasel, and Martin Wortley. 

We will remember them as our friends and neighbors. And we will remember them not just for the way they died, but for the way they lived. Their kindness, talents and positive impact they each made on this town was stolen from all of us on 9/11.  They each, in their own way, contributed to making Park Ridge the great town that it is. When they were taken from us, that loss was felt throughout our community, and is still felt today. We mourn their loss along with you, and we will never forget them. We will “Remember 9-11.”

God Bless You All, and God Bless America.

In Memory of District 39 Residents who lost their lives on 9/11/01Gary Albero, Emerson

Christopher E. Allingham, River Edge

Richard A. Aronow, Mahwah

Paul F. Beatini, Park Ridge

Joseph J. Berry, SaddleRiver

Jack L. D’Ambrosi, Woodcliff Lake

Donald A. Delapenha, Allendale

Stephen S. Dorf, New Milford

Ronald C. Fazio, Closter

Donald H. Gregory, Ramsey

John M. Griffin, Waldwick

Joseph J. Keller, Park Ridge

Bon-seok Koo, River Edge

Ronald E. Magnuson, Park Ridge

Joseph Maio, Park Ridge

Thomas H. McGinnis, Oakland

Domenick Mircovick, Closter

Nancy Yuen Ngo, HarringtonPark

James A. O’Grady, HarringtonPark

Ronald Orsini, Hillsdale

Todd J. Quida, River Edge

Angel R. Pena, River Vale

Daphne Pouletsos, Westwood

William R. Raub, Saddle River

Francis S. Riccardelli, Westwood

Paul V. Rizza, Park Ridge

James A. Romito, Westwood

Kalyan K. Sarkar, Westwood

Neil G. Shastri, Ho-Ho-Kus

Walter P. “Wally” Travers , Upper Saddle River

Scott C. Vasel, Park Ridge

Christopher Vialonga, Demarest

Gregory K. Wachtler, Ramsey

Michael T. Wholey, Westwood

Brent J. Woodall, Oradell

Richard H. Woodwell, Ho-Ho-Kus

Martin M. Wortley, Park Ridge

Robert A. “Robbie” Zampieri, Saddle River

Just minutes ago, the Assembly passed A-4008, which amends current law to provide that cheerleaders are included in the state’s student-athlete head injury safety program. I’m proud to be a prime sponsor on this important bi-partisan legislation, which extends essential protections to cheerleaders who suffer sports injuries.

This is a topic that hits particularly close to home for me. My 17-year-old daughter Brittany has been involved in cheerleading for many years, both as an active participant and as a coach.  Fortunately, her injuries have been minor (headaches, muscle pulls, bruises and the like) but over the years we have seen several of her teammates suffer more serious injuries, including a broken ankle and a dislocated shoulder. Yet, when it comes to cheerleading, they are considered the lucky ones.

According to a recent study cited in the Journal of Athletic training, “collegiate cheerleading accounted for 70.5% of all female catastrophic sports injuries and high school cheerleading for 65.2% of all high school female catastrophic sports injuries,” making it the most dangerous female sport.   Cheerleading has become even more risky in recent years, as the pressure to perform stunts and high-scoring fly maneuvers pushes girls to test their limits in order to stay competitive.  As a result, catastrophic, long-lasting injuries (such as concussion and paralysis) are also on the rise.

I thank my colleagues in the legislature for recognizing the need to take action to protect cheerleaders in the same way that we protect other athletes, and for passing this bill with unanimous support.  If your child is interested in pursuing cheerleading, please take a moment to visit the National Cheer Safety Foundation website for important safety tips and other valuable resource information.

Today marks the middle of National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7).  The American Heart Association sponsors this annual event to encourage citizens to become trained in CPR and in using an automated external defibrillator. It’s also a time to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the appropriate way to respond in the event of such an emergency.

There’s been a great deal of “buzz” on the internet today about the predictions that the world is ending on Saturday.  It has been  interesting to watch other people’s reactions on my Twitter feed and Facebook account today, as they grapple with the notion that this could be their last full day on earth.  Most of my friends seem to be having a bit of fun with it, posting song clips with the word “Rapture” in it, speculating on what might or might not  happen. But I also can’t help noticing a sense of unease and nervousness in some of the posts.  Even those who don’t truly think the predictions will come to pass have nevertheless posed the question: what would you do if this was really “The End?”  It has certainly generated some lively, thought-provoking discussion over the past few hours.

While I personally do not believe that the End is Near, I do not begrudge those who do.  What does me bother me, however, is that with all of the hype about these Doomsday predictions, everyone seems to have lost sight of the one thing we DO know for sure about tomorrow: it  is Armed Forces Day, a national holiday when we honor the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in the military.

Those who serve in the Armed Forces are heroes, and deserve to be honored for their service every day, not just on May 21st.  I do not believe the world will end tomorrow, but I do expect that Armed Forces Day 2011 will very likely be overshadowed in the media by discussion of these dire predictions, and that saddens me.

For our brave soliders serving in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, facing the spectre of “their last day on earth” is nothing new.  For them, it is not merely speculation or a far-flung prediction that they toy around with for a few hours before moving on to the next meme.  Our military personnel overseas wake up each and every morning facing the harsh reality that this day could very well be their last.  I have enormous respect and admiration for them and all that they do.

I ask that you please join me in thanking  our Armed Forces for their service and sacrifice: today, tomorrow, and every day.

I’d also like to draw your attention to a grass-roots movement that started out on a social network and has grown steadily across the country: the push to have Time Magazine name The Military Family their 2011 Person of the Year.  I encourage you to visit the LIFT (Like It For Time) website to learn more about this unique crusade, and consider supporting their efforts to recognize U.S. military personnel and their families for the daily sacrifices they endure to protect our Freedom.

Yesterday evening, a few hours after an amended version of S-2308 was approved by the Assembly with overwhelming bi-partisan support, Governor Christie signed it into law, repealing the early release program.

It’s gratifying to see this ill-advised program finally eliminated, and yet, the success in getting this law amended is bittersweet. In the course of my work with victims’ rights advocacy, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several families from New Jersey who have suffered greatly as a result of the early release program.  For them, the damage that was done by the early release program can never be reversed. When the votes were tallied yesterday, I couldn’t help but think about these families, and what the repeal of the early release program would mean to them.

There’s the family of 15-year-old Kevin Beattie from Emerson, who lost their son two years ago in a car accident. The teen driver responsible for the crash was found guilty of two counts of vehicular homicide, and sentenced to 18 months in prison. That sentence was later reduced to 15 months, and he was set free after serving just 11 months of his sentence.  Kevin’s family was devastated by his death, and told me they felt victimized all over again when they learned his killer would be released after such a short time. There is no time off for good behavior for the Beattie family; they will cope with the loss of Kevin for the rest of their lives.

My heart also goes out to Viviana Tulli’s family. Viviana, a 21-year-old Garfield resident, was brutally murdered by her boyfriend not long after his early release from prison.  Her sister, Stella, channeled her grief into advocating for an end to the program, writing letters to the parole board and other government officials.  When she wrote to me, she told me she understood it was too late to help her sister, but she wanted to eliminate the program so that another family would not have to go through the same suffering that she and family have endured. I applaud her strength and determination, and I’m glad the Legislature came together to repeal the early release program before any additional lives were lost. 

Yesterday’s vote sends a strong message that New Jersey’s priorities remain with victims, not criminals. While reducing recidivism is a worthwhile goal, it does not trump public safety. There is more than enough data on crimes committed by early release convicts that tells us this program was a failure. I am glad that most of my colleagues recognized the need to repeal this provision of the law.