By: centraljersey.com
Labor Day 2010 was the first annual Red White and Bang Kids Triathlon. The purpose of the event was two-fold. First, provide an opportunity for young athletes to compete against their peers in three endurance events. Second, begin the process of raising funds to bring fireworks back to Lawrence Township.
To some it was a test of their conditioning as they swam, biked and ran. To others it was an opportunity to cheer on their child, grandchild or sibling. And to others it was their way to support the 2011 Lawrence Township Fireworks. Whatever their reason may have been for being at the event they helped to make the day a success.
It was truly a community event with volunteers from the Recreation Committee joined by parents of the athletes and members of the Lawrence High School track team combining to provide a wonderful event for the more than 80 young competitors. The Lawrence Township Police Department, Emergency Management Team and C.E.R.T ensured the safety of all the athletes.
The event would not have been a reality had it not been for the hospitality of the staff and members of the Lawrence Swim Association.
Dozens of local business donated funds, services and merchandise to this year’s race and proceeds will go toward the 2011 Lawrence Township Fireworks display. But while so many contributed in so many ways at the core of the event’s success were the efforts and hard work of Harper Collins, Dana Meth and Cathy LeCompte.
Thank you Lawrence for a great day. Steven Groeger Superintendent Lawrence Township Recreation Department
Grateful for the caring of this community
To the editor:
I am so proud to live in a community that cares. This is why I feel so deeply grateful to the citizens of Mercer County who have supported HomeFront’s Back to School Program.
If you could see the homeless children going off to school looking just like their classmates, you would know exactly what I mean. They are wearing new school clothes and carrying a backpack full of school supplies. There is a smile on their face, a glint in their eye and a spring in their step. They belong. I wish that all of you could be there to see them.
Individuals, corporations, congregations and organizations make this possible by supporting our homeless children in our annual HomeFront Back-to-School campaign. I want to give all of you my profound thanks.
Things are extremely hard this year and your kindness and generosity are appreciated more than ever. We see so many more families who have lost their jobs and have lost or are losing their home. We are struggling just to feed, clothe and shelter families in need, but, no matter what, it is ultimately about what kind of lives these children are going to have and what we can do now to get them on the right track, to make it so they will finish school, get jobs and maybe even go to college, just like their peers. In the long run, that is how we can fight poverty-and end it.
I know in my heart that we all share the same sense of mission when it comes to this goal. Together, we can make it happen, one child with a new backpack and a new pair of sneakers at a time. Connie Mercer Executive Director, HomeFront
American POW/MIAs are not forgotten
To the editor:
Sept. 17 is National POW/MIA Recognition Day as announced by the Department of Defense. It will also hopefully be proclaimed so by President Obama, as did his predecessors. Over the past several years, all or most of the 50 states have issued proclamations for this recognition day in conjunction with the national effort. We’ve been told Gov. Chris Christie will issue his own proclamation out of respect and honor for our missing.
Some of you readers will say, "So what" or "what is it?" Just ask most concerned veterans or the families of the approximate 88,000 current POW/MIAs. On this day, we salute those men and women who served our nation as prisoners of war as well as those who remain unaccounted for, missing from World War II (78,000), Korea (8,200), Vietnam (1,770), the cold war (120), Desert Storm (1), Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
You may have noticed the black POW/MIA flag that flies along with our great American flag on all government buildings, veterans’ posts, fire and rescue squads, schools and most post offices. This stark black cloth of remembrance is the only flag that has flown over the White House, other than "Old Glory."
This observance is one of six days throughout the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag. The others are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The flag is to be flown at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the official offices of the secretaries of state, defense and veterans affairs, the director of the selective service system and the White House.
This flag was originally designed by the wife of a downed American flyer during Vietnam, and the Annin flag company in 1971. The flag stands as a reminder of our enduring commitment to those still unaccounted for. The commitment is to bring them home to their families. They are "Never Forgotten." It is to the brave men and women of America who sacrificed their freedoms and even their lives for our nation in the past, to those who remain missing from our past conflicts, and to those serving in harm’s way today, their comrades and their families, that we remember and honor on this day.
This is a fitting occasion to remind our members of Congress to support policies that encourage Vietnam and Korea to protect human rights and to account fully for the Americans listed as prisoners of war or missing in action from these wars. Try to imagine the torment the families of missing servicemen have experienced. Birthdays, holidays have passed, and still no word of their loved ones. We should demand policies that will ensure the families of future POW/MIAs will not suffer a decades-long delay in closure.
Local high schools should be encouraged to have a brief ceremony or moment of silence for our POW/MIAs at football games the evening of Sept. 17. Support, such as this, for these missing Americans and their families is deeply felt. America’s POW/MIAs should be honored and recognized rather than memorialized, with the focus on the need to account as fully as possible for those still missing, alive or dead. Strong, united support by the American people is crucial to achieving concrete answers. The American people can make the difference.
You Are Not Forgotten
Robert "Bob" Looby Commander The American Legion Department (State) of New Jersey
Take steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies
To the editor:
September signals more than summer’s end and back-to-school for children. For the seventh year, September has been designated as National Preparedness Month (NPM) to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities.
Of course, since we’ve just passed the fifth anniversary of hurricane Katrina, devastation from storms is at the forefront of our minds. And well it should be. New Jersey has been very lucky that we’ve not had a direct hit from a hurricane in many years. But we all know that one day it could happen.
Also, we shouldn’t be lulled when hurricane season passes. There are so many possibilities for disaster such as train accidents, ice storms or multi-car accidents on our major highways. We can’t dwell on what might happen but we can certainly take steps to avoid as much danger as possible and prepare for any eventuality.
Here in New Jersey, The Salvation Army has a dedicated Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) team that supports first responders and victims during times of crisis. We know how disasters can immediately turn lives upside down and how stressful it can be for individuals and families. I strongly encourage everyone to make preparedness plans now so that if the time comes, you’ll have everything in order to help cope with your situation.
Preparedness plans take only a short time to make but the repercussions of not having one can last for a long time. Please visit www.ready.gov or www.fema.gov then spend a few minutes following their guidelines for planning. Recording simple information such as phone numbers for relatives, friends, doctors and your pharmacy will help you notify people if you must leave your home. Carrying a card with your medication information will be invaluable should you be injured. There are many other simple items you can record in one place to be of help if you need to be evacuated or are stranded.
Please remember to make or update your preparedness plan today. And know that The Salvation Army is ready to be of assistance when disaster strikes. Financial support of all our programs is critical – please show your support by making a donation. Visit www.salvationarmynj.org and click on Donate or make a credit card donation by calling Tricia Pellegrini at (908) 851-8227.
Major Donald E. Berry N.J. State Commander The Salvation Army
