Tag / Hurricane Sandy

by Frank Maduri

Power Surge: JCP&L, Property Values, and Huge Power Lines In Monmouth County

The Monmouth County Reliability Project is the given name to a rather controversial proposed plan to build 210 foot high power lines along the New Jersey Transit railroad tracks from Red Bank to Aberdeen, a distance of about 12 miles. The power lines would run through the backyards of residents from several towns in Red Bank, Middletown, Holmdel and Hazlet.

The concern of the residents is the effect that these enormous towers and power lines will have on property values as well as safety, should the lines become dislodged or downed by high winds.

The mayors of certain local towns have come forward in support of the plan in recent days. The local news sources reported that the utility company involved in this project, Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L), has reviewed several different areas and pathways for these types of power lines before determining this current path along the NJ Transit rail line.

The project is seen as a necessary system improvement to energy delivery systems in order to curtail the major outages of electric power such as with Hurricane Sandy. The matter is currently before a judge who will rule on whether or not this project will move forward at a hearing in the near future.

The impact of these large scale power lines and towers to the environment is not documented but the educated guess would be that there must be some detrimental effect to having that much electrical current being pushed through a twelve mile span.

Many area residents have joined into a group known as R.A.G.E. which has been rather vocal in their opposition to this proposal from JCP&L with demonstrations, lawn signs, and bumper stickers to unify their message.

The area proposed for these power lines and their gigantic towers is a densely populated residential area filled with families. The general sentiment of the residents is that they pay a significant amount in property taxes and that these lines could be built in an area that is less densely populated.

The impact on the property values of these homes is most certainly going to be decidedly negative. It reminds me of the intense scrutiny given to the high tension power lines in Toms River which created notorious “cancer clusters” and residents here have similar concerns.

The irony here is that the power company and the municipal governments keep referring to this project as a way to safeguard and improve the electrical energy supply during inclement weather or natural disasters. However, a storm of an event in the magnitude of a Hurricane Sandy could damage or destroy one or more of these towers and damage the power lines resulting in service disruptions.

The area is so densely populated that it could be a significant public safety risk if something were to go wrong with the performance of these towers and lines.

The final public meeting on this matter will be held tomorrow night at 7 PM at Middletown North High School and the judge for the upcoming hearing on this important decision will be present. The time for you to voice your opinion is now, the stakes are high and the clock is ticking.

by Frank Maduri

Return To The Playground: The Stalled Recovery of Union Beach

This article was originally published elsewhere locally – I share it with you all here on my blog:

I had a rather difficult week on a number of fronts last week, so I set out for Union Beach last Friday because it always helps me to gain perspective. When I have problems, and some of them are significant, going to Union Beach and seeing the remains of homes still damaged from Hurricane Sandy helps to reorder my outlook. It serves as a reminder that if things seem bad, they can always be a lot worse.

 

I drove down Florence Avenue past many homes that had been repaired and restored and past businesses that unfortunately have not. I turned onto Front Street where many empty lots and active or inactive construction sites are scattered along the waterfront. I parked the car and got out to look at the New York City skyline which was slightly obstructed by haze on this hot summer afternoon. I walked out to the end of a short pier next to the beachfront area and the breeze picked up which felt like such a welcome change from the humid air I just drove through further inland.

 

I looked down briefly at my buzzing smartphone to check an email related to some of the disappointing news I had received earlier that morning. I did not notice that a man had joined me at the end of the pier until his deep baritone voice bellowed, “Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where that amusement park down there is called?” He was pointing toward the Waterfront Park in neighboring Keansburg which is visible in the distance to our right, directly east of our location. “Yes sir that is the Keansburg Waterfront Park. It has water rides, amusement park rides and a boardwalk area with games and food as well as stuff for the kids. You should check it out sometime” I replied.

 

The man smiled back at me, “Yes I plan to come down with my kids, I am on a break from work right now. I drive a delivery truck” he told me while rotating his head around as if on a swivel, trying to take in as much as he could of the scenery around us on this beautiful summer day. I noticed the golf type shirt with the logo of his company on it earlier and assumed he was a route delivery driver. “My wife’s cousin does that same job, it is not easy” I said as the wind blew sand on the people on the beach next to us. “Yeah it can be tough at times, but when I get route stops on the Shore I try and take 10 minutes or so and catch a break, especially on days like this” he said as he fixed his baseball cap. “Oh yeah absolutely you have to do that. I think we are all entitled to a break, that is what I am doing out here too” I explained.

 

The man pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and said “I have to head all the way up to Warren after this to make a delivery stop” I asked: “How far away is that from here like 45 minutes” He smiled shook his head and said “Yes sir exactly right 45 minutes on the nose” He motioned to his phone and said, “Pretty soon they are going to be calling me wondering where I am, so I better go. It was very nice talking with you sir” I smiled shook his hand and said “Yes it was nice to chat with you, safe driving” and with that he went off down the pier to head north to Warren.

 

I reflected on the many jobs and occupations that people have and the skills that it takes to be successful at them. I thought about some of my friends and how they have expressed that they would not be able to be a writer like I am and put together all types of articles and creative work. I guess we are all called for different functions and to use our gifts and talents to achieve different objectives.

 

I walked back toward the street and talked to a lady who was walking a dog, she smiled and asked how I was doing. She told me, “You should head toward the park it is shadier there, this Sun can get hot”. I told her that I was heading that way and to enjoy the rest of her day. I proceeded to head to the park, one of my usual stops in Union Beach.

Jack’s Playground

 

The Fireman’s Park area in Union Beach features a playground named in memory of Jack Pinto, one of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. I covered the dedication of the playground back over two years ago, and I have written several stories about the recovery of the Shore from Hurricane Sandy that feature the playground.

 

I stop at the playground nearly every time I come into Union Beach whether it is for a story or just for some leisure time. I went that day under sunny beautiful skies and first stopped at the area where Jack Pinto’s handprint is on a plaque. I noticed immediately that two teddy bears and some flowers were left there with a ribbon tied around them to attach them to the stone which bears the handprint. I thought it was very kind that someone brought him these items, and I said a prayer for him and for all the victims of the Newtown tragedy as well as the survivors and their families.

 

Under the gazebo sat two ladies talking in gorgeous weather and sharing stories. Some children were playing on the slide and I walked over that way and I was greeted by a little boy who ran and jumped in the air. He landed right next to me and yelled, “Hi!” with the youthful exuberance I once remember that I possessed. I replied back to him, “Hi there buddy. How are you?” He yelled while running toward the slide, “I’m great!!” He started to climb the ladder and I got nervous and his mother rushed over, grabbed his arm, and scolded him for trying such a bold feat.

 

I began to talk with both of his parents who were really nice people, “I have never seen him act like this he never would try something like that” his mother explained. “He is probably just showing off in front of me” I replied and we all laughed. The boy’s father introduced me to the family dog and explained that they are from out of the area and stopped to visit a friend who lives in town on their way to the Shore for the weekend. “This park is great, really nice” the boy’s father said while looking around. “I was here the day they dedicated it. It was really sunny and warm just like today” I explained. “How do you think the recovery is going?” he asked. “Not very well. You have so many people still waiting for money for their homes or they ran out of money trying to pay their mortgage on their unlivable home while paying rent on their current residence for close to three years” I commented.

 

We spoke for a few minutes about Sandy and how many people think that everything is recovered and great down in New Jersey on the Shore. I likened the relief effort to a car that keeps on stalling before it gets into second gear. They liked that analogy. Then the kids were going wild so I let them get back to parenting and I moved on to another part of the park where I bumped into a man on his break from a construction job.

 

Across The Bay

 

He noticed I was wearing a New York Knicks shirt and he immediately said “I am sorry” and we both chuckled (the Knicks had the worst record in the league last season) and he said “If it makes you feel any better I am a Mets fan so I know heartache” and we both started laughing again. He told me that he was working on the rebuilding of a property across the street from the park. “Progress is slow but this town got hit hard” he remarked. “I know I was here the day after Sandy came through and I was totally shocked at the level of destruction. It was like a nuclear bomb got dropped here” I explained.

 

We talked about the slow recovery or stalled recovery of homeowners here and in the area. Then he had to get back to work. I remained and listened to the calm rush of the water against the shore line. There is something so soothing to that sound. I watched the boats out in the Bay and listened as the birds chirped in the trees behind me. I walked past a property where building materials were tied up and unused seemingly for months, and the lot where the home was torn down had pilings of cement put in to elevate a house, yet nothing was there. I remember this lot was in the same condition five or six months ago when I was there. The reality that it will most likely remain in that condition haunted me. This was a home for a family that is now somewhere else, another reminder of the true toll Sandy took on my beloved Jersey Shore.

 

The homes on either side of that lot were in similar disrepair or in stages of unfinished construction. One house where the siding was half finished on the sides and the owner obviously ran out of money, had plywood sealing off the back of the lower level with graffiti spray painted on it. One message read: Smile You’re on camera referring to the news coverage of the destruction.

 

I mentioned earlier that my trips to Union Beach, if nothing else, yield two things: perspective on my own “problems” and interactions with really kind people. I experienced both again today at a time when I was sorely in need of it to remedy my soul. I watched the white puffy clouds move across the sky and looked out across the Bay to the Manhattan skyline where I could see the Freedom Tower, or as they call it now, One World Trade Center. It was towering above the other buildings like a giant looming over midgets.

 

I always think when I look at this grand new building about the former World Trade Center and the 9/11 terror attacks. I reflected again as I stood there in the afternoon sun now so many years later, and felt very small, but at the same time very lucky to have the blessing of a brand new day of life. The park behind me was dedicated to a boy who was killed at 6 years old by a very sick young man in a horrific tragedy. He and others that day never got the chance at life that I have received.

 

I looked back across the Bay and remembered those who tragically lost their lives on 9/11 and so many of those victims were young people in the prime of their lives and careers. So many of them were firefighters, police, and brave first responders who continued to climb up as others fled down and out of the buildings.

 

I returned to the same fact: I am still here and I am blessed to have the chance at life that so many others did not receive. I am surrounded by homes destroyed by a horrible storm which I also lived through and survived. I am here, we are all here for a unique purpose. It is these days and times in Union Beach where I gain the perspective to keep pushing forward down the road of life to find the answers and to determine God’s plan for my life. I hope that this article inspires you to do the same.

 

(Frank J. Maduri is a freelance writer and journalist who has numerous publishing credits for magazines, websites, and major news sources. He has covered Hurricane Sandy, the recovery effort, and social justice issues for years. He continues to use his talents to raise awareness of issues and is searching for God’s plan for his life.)

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Reflections of 9/11: Darkness Then Light – Poetry by Frank J. Maduri

It has been 13 years since the terror attacks of 9/11 on New York City and Washington D.C. which shook our nation, and the world, to its core. Some children today were not even born when these tragedies occurred. The rest of us all have our own personal account of that day because the memories are still so stark and profound in our consciousness.

I find that September 11th and Hurricane Sandy are two events that are difficult for me to write about, and I can write about nearly any subject. I attribute this difficulty to the personal impact that both events had on my life. I also feel that words cannot adequately express the multiple layers of emotions emoted by those two tragic events.

I wrote a short post here on Frank’s Forum last year on the anniversary of the attacks which was focused on the remembrance of those victims who lost their lives, their families, and the firemen and first responders for their brave service. Those sentiments all certainly still remain, and will always remain a part of this day for me. I also continue to focus on living my life and directing my work in honor of those who died so tragically that terrible day.

I have had some time for reflection today, and over the years I have come to find that through even the darkest of times there is light which shines and goodness which comes to the forefront. I found that in the testimonials of those who survived the terror attacks who were helped by total strangers that day. I have witnessed it in my own community after Hurricane Sandy struck the Jersey Shore. People I had never met helped my wife and I as we struggled with that terrible circumstance. That is the light of the human soul that we need to focus on today and in the days ahead.

The darkness seems to be upon us again with ISIS and terrorist activity in Africa as well as a war in Ukraine. It seems like history again repeating itself, but we can change that narrative. We can change that narrative into one of hope, peace, and love for one another that will, in the end, be the light that shines through all the darkness of the human condition.

I mentioned earlier that I have a hard time with expressing my thoughts on 9/11 because the event so profoundly shocked, saddened, angered, and hurt me. The best way I could think to share some of those emotions is through my creative work, through some poetry I wrote about that tragic day and the days since.

 

 

“The Towers Fell”

This one tragic day in September It started with a bright cloudless sky

It’s a day I’ll always remember Later that morning, three thousand people would die

I remember being truly frightened

They attacked our home, it happened so fast

Now many years have come and passed

For the victims, their families, life hasn’t brightened

All over the globe was a shockwave

The stock market ceased trading for days

Our lives were in a vacuum in many ways

I wish more lives that day God could save

The towers fell, which lead to a war

Our days will never be the same as before

For those who that day lost their lives I pray for their families, their husbands, and wives.

 

 

“Across the Bay”

My wife and I were in Union Beach today

She took pictures, we looked across the Bay In the distance the Manhattan skyline

We could see the rising new Freedom Tower

Though this town is far from fine Talking with people here – they’re sour

About the slow rebuilding after the storm

Six months after Sandy’s powerful wrath

It doesn’t help that the weather isn’t warm

Though the people trust the Lord’s path

I wish there was something I could say

To help alleviate their pain, anger, fear

I say this to my wife and we looked across the Bay

I knew how lucky I was for all I hold so dear

 

 

“America No More”

You know what scares me?

It’s if America ceased to be

If I lost all of my freedom

If I lost all of my liberty

Someone told me when I could go and come

That is what truly scares me

If I couldn’t say what I feel

If I couldn’t offer God praise

If I was stripped of the American ideal

I would exist as if in a haze

If someone told me what I had to write

If I was told what I had to believe

I would rather just lose my sight

The loss of beloved America is more than I can conceive

 

 

“Sky Fall”

In the blue sky that fateful morning

It all came crashing down with no warning

Lives ended, innocence trampled, hope lost

Evil pervasive, good extinguished, society tossed –

Upside down, backwards, the towers collapsed

The entire world, everywhere, collectively gasped

Earlier that morning from the sky would fall –

My Dad throwing to me a white baseball

I was supposed to that day get on a flight

My Dad had a feeling something wasn’t right

The night before I had a bad feeling too

Throughout the morning that feeling grew

Though what happened I never anticipated

Instantly so much shock, sadness was created

My Grandpa was on a plane somewhere that day

From the sky it did fall safely landing in Raleigh

So many lives cut short, so many months of fear

Why are they gone and I’m still here?

So much rain like tears from the sky fall

So much has changed, yet nothing changed at all

From the sky will fall rays of the Sun

To show us all our journey has just begun

 

 

“Darkness Then Light”

Evil comes in all of its darkness

Hatred for those they’ve never met

An unspeakable act of destruction

Shattering the lives of so many at once

My mind cannot comprehend it

I wake up some days, think it’s –

A nightmare that it never occurred

Then I feel the warmth of the Sun

The light fills up the room

I realize that good will prevail

I rise to take advantage

Of the blessed gift of life

I move forward to honor those lost

I have time they did not receive

I have an obligation to do right

To love and serve all others

To inspire and to live in the light

The light of a blessed new day

 

 

“Imbued”

Seeking solace where there’s none

Another days’ battles lost and won

Emboldened by success to build

For tomorrows’ challenges fulfilled

By the small measures taken –

By man. Your confidence unshaken

Imbued and not ever feeling dismayed

From your core principles you’re unswayed

Stay the course against the shifts in tide

Your fears and worries will subside

The world is there to devour

But it’s also there for you to scour

To find the pathway best suited

Not become undermined or polluted

To face the days whether gloomy or bright

To move forward further to the light

Embarking constantly on new avenues

Knowing your faith guides what you choose

Seeking the way to find your success

Imbued with hope and willing to accept nothing less

 

 

“Glory Be”

Glory be the Father, the Son

The Holy Spirit – Blessed Trinity

His love for us has just begun

His love will live for infinity

He created the Earth and the Moon

He created the glorious Heaven

But nobody wants to get there soon

Jesus took bread with no leaven

He blessed and broke it for all

He took the cup of wine – “My blood”

He carried the Cross, three times to fall

His death, sorrow over the world did flood

Victory over sin and death we believe

Eternal life, through Christ, we receive

 

We will never forget the lives lost on September 11th or in the terror attacks throughout the world since then. God bless all of you.

 

(Copyright 2014- Frank J. Maduri – all rights reserved. Image of NY is copyrighted image all rights reserved.  No copying or redistribution of this material without express written consent from the author)

by Frank Maduri

Beach Replenishment Post- Hurricane Sandy

The New Jersey coast, which was battered in some places and destroyed in others by Hurricane Sandy, is undergoing a beach replenishment via federal hurricane relief funding.

 

The project had started earlier this year, and then was halted by the federal government shutdown. It is continuing now in the Long Branch area, which is going to receive $40 million in funding to rebuild their decimated beach (www.app.com). The work began last week and is part of a $102 million beach replenishment project which covers the area of the New Jersey coastline from Sea Bright to Manasquan Inlet.

 

The project will bring 3.3 million cubic yards of sand to the Long Branch beach areas alone. The scale of this project is, by far, the most ambitious yet in New Jersey (www.app.com). The question becomes whether or not it makes sense to continue to pursue this course when the storms continually pull the sand back into the ocean.

 

The proponents of the beach replenishment plan feel that it is vital to the economic recovery of the New Jersey Shore area to have larger beaches to accommodate tourists and visitors.

 

Some other groups in the general public believe that this project will provide additional protection to the beaches and the surrounding coastal town neighborhoods. The addition of that much sand calls for not only the beaches to be built back again, but the dunes system in many of these coastal areas as well.  The dunes will potentially hold back the tidal waves during a high wind and coastal storm event.

 

The other side

 

The other side of this situation is the view of the environmental and other community groups who believe that the beach should be repaired naturally and not with the involvement of engineered sand and sediment being dropped into place in huge quantities.

 

The sand is also dredged from the continental shelf, which causes the disruption of the ecosystem there as well as the underwater plant life in that area. The sediment caused by the addition of large amounts of new sand has an impact on the fish, birds, and other wildlife on the coast.

 

The beach replenishment projects have been growing steadily over the years, and this latest project is massive because of the extreme amount of damage caused by the mammoth Hurricane Sandy last year. The grain size of the sand in these projects is also problematic because it is usually larger than the grain size of the sand currently on the existing beaches. This causes the beaches to be muddy and changes the way the waves break on the shore especially during tidal periods. I have experienced it myself walking on the beach after the new sand has been installed, the sand is muddy and different in appearance.

 

These same groups will point to the fact that the same coastal areas were the beneficiaries of a beach replenishment project in the months leading up to the summer of 2012, and then Sandy and the Nor’easter storm which hit right after Election Day,  wiped out all of the sand from the last nourishment project.

 

Perspective

 

I understand both sides of this complex issue, the fortification of the beaches is needed to build the dunes, provide protection for the infrastructure of coastal communities, and provide support to the tourism industry. I am also a long time resident of the New Jersey Shore area, so I am very familiar with this situation.

 

Conversely, the beaches are being artificially engineered by man and machine to bring tons of new sand into a specific area with potential consequences to the environment and the natural habitats of fish, birds, and other wildlife. Then, every two years, the government looks at replenishing the beaches because the sand is being pulled away by the ocean during coastal storms.

 

The reduction of sand in the Continental Shelf has to have some effect on the ecosystem there as well. I am not sure if it is rational to keep restoring a coastline against the will of nature. I understand that the dunes are a source of protection but I think it is not a good situation to keep artificially enhancing them.

 

Then there is the sediment build up and the effect it has on the waves, especially during the peak tide cycles, and the role that the sediment has on fish and other wildlife. I am also concerned about the effect this enhancement of the beach can have on erosion. Some reports I read indicate that the expansion of the coastline through beach replenishment can actually accelerate erosion.

 

I think that the potential risks to the environment are too great and too costly for this type of beach nourishment to be effective. I also do not like the impact it can have on the ecosystem and the marine and bird life.

 

An argument can also be made for the cost of the beach replenishment process and using that money to make other infrastructure improvements. This could include building up the jetties which allows for a more natural tidal flow and can have less impact on the fish and wildlife. The money could also be used to make improvements to roads and bridges which were damaged during Sandy.

 

In the meantime, the project will continue with this phase in Long Branch and then will continue to work its way to the north to Monmouth Beach. The debate on whether this enhancement of the beach is good for the protection of coastal communities, or bad because of the environmental implications will continue on in the weeks and months ahead as well. The residents of New Jersey have to decide how they want the government to address this complex issue both in the present situation and in the future.

 

The stakes are high, and it is a problem which is not going away any time soon.

 

 

 

by Frank Maduri

Hurricane Sandy: New Jersey Shore One Year Later

A Victim’s Perspective

 

It has been one year since Hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey Shore and changed my life. I will never forget the days leading up to evacuation. I will also never forget seeing the damage to the town where I once lived, Sea Bright, for the first time riding in on a bus one week after the storm.

 

I am still haunted by the images of those days in the aftermath. I am still kept awake some nights by the horrible destruction I saw in the town of Union Beach, when my wife and I drove through there two days after the storm. Life in some areas is coming back to “normal”, other places still look like the storm rolled through yesterday.

 

The federal relief aid has, for the most part, not arrived here to the areas of New Jersey which were hardest hit. FEMA is a bad word around here, they pulled out of the area and left people high and dry. The inspection process for many was not a very positive experience.

 

I have lived in the northern Shore area for my entire life, and I had never seen the type of destruction that I saw last October in the wake of Sandy. I also never saw so many acts of kindness and generosity.

 

I saw neighbors helping neighbors, but I also witnessed strangers from other parts of the state or region helping people they had never met before. In my own experience, I was in a bad car accident three weeks after Sandy, and I was injured to the point I could not lift anything. My wife and I would not have been able to salvage some of our belongings or get rid of the stuff that we needed to clear out of our home without the help of family members, but also the kindness of volunteers. Those volunteers, we had never met them before, came in on the weekend and helped us with a tremendous amount of difficult work, which due to my injuries, I could not physically undertake.

 

It is those experiences which provide me with hope that we will move forward from Sandy as better people that our communities will be stronger and our commitment to rebuilding the Shore will have lasting resolve.

 

My Story, Our Story

 

My story and experiences relative to Hurricane Sandy are not much different than the stories that my neighbors and fellow effected residents would share. My story is our story, it is a story of hope in the face of despair, it is a story of strength and not of giving up, it is a story of compassion for others and not isolation and it is a story of gratitude for the days ahead without taking anything for granted anymore.

 

I have covered the events of the days since Hurricane Sandy struck for several websites, news sources and a local magazine. I have written about the harmful effects of mold in flooded homes and businesses, and the government relief funding programs.

 

I have covered the impact the storm has had on our infrastructure, the increased costs of repairs to sewage and water treatment facilities and the remarkable progress made by some towns in the months following this terrible event.

 

I have fought back tears as I covered the “Sandy Ground Project” playground opening in Union Beach which brought a new playground to that ravaged city and dedicated it to the memory of Jack Pinto, one of the children killed in the Newtown, CT school shooting. I watched as children from Union Beach and Newtown played on the slide or the swings surrounded by a town struggling to rebuild from Sandy.

 

I smiled with residents of Union Beach as they showed me the work they had done to move back into their homes, which they once thought was impossible. My heart was so happy for them, and so grateful they allowed me into their lives.

 

I covered the impact of the storm on the small business community and their struggles and unbelievable stories of success in overcoming insurmountable odds to open for business again for the busy summer tourist season.

 

Summer

 

I covered the transformation of the boardwalks and the renewal of the Shore, detailing each town and the pitfalls and successes they had in gaining funding and rebuilding the boardwalks which are the backbone to the tourism industry in New Jersey.

 

I covered the visit of Prince Harry to the boardwalk in Point Pleasant and correlated it to a day where I met a member of the British royal family so many years earlier, and the hope that his visit provided to New Jersey.

 

Finally, I covered the slow cleanup and rebuilding in towns with working class demographics such as Keansburg and Union Beach. I detailed the resolve that the people in those towns had to restore their communities against the red tape of the government and the lack of relief funding.

 

Looking Back, Looking Forward

 

I look back today, one year to the day of Sandy striking our Shore, and our state of New Jersey, and I realize how many lives I have touched through all of these articles I have published. I also realize how many lives have touched me in a profound way.

 

It was a distraction for me to write these stories to bring positive energy, to make a difference in the lives of others who had nobody to advocate for them because with my injuries I could not do much else to help in the effort. I was also committed that I was not going to just sit still and watch, I was going to participate by writing, by writing what I saw and who I spoke to. My story, your story, our story.

 

Hurricane Sandy will not define us, we will define our future. I look forward today and realize that I have covered a lot of aspects of this event. I focus on the hope, the hope for a better tomorrow that I know is within our grasp. My story is just one of many, I have shared the stories of many others. The most profound part of today and reflecting back is that I realize it is just the beginning.

 

My story, your story, our story continues in the days, weeks and months ahead.