Sweet Lou recording Episode #15 of “It’s Denza Time!”
“I love sports, that doesn’t mean I know everything about sports, I just love sports and I love watching competition. Baseball’s my favorite sport. I don’t talk about religion, but baseball’s very much like a religion to me and my father. From the time I was a little kid, my dad would sit me in front of the TV and put in a video of stuff that would just amaze me, for instance, he would put on highlights like the 1989 Kurt Gibson home run that won the World Series for the Dodgers. He would not only talk to me about Babe Ruth, but he would even talk about the Negro Leagues and other things that no one was talking to their kids about. Once I got to a certain age, he brought out this book, it was a baseball encyclopedia, which we call ‘the bible.’ Every time you bring out the bible, you bow down to it.”
Meet Louis “Sweet Lou” Denza, host of the “It’s Denza Time!” podcast on the Cul-De-Sac Sports Network. Lou grew up with tons of exposure to sports, has created his own podcast with friends, and is chasing his dreams to becoming a sports commentator.
Denza, a twenty-two year old currently attending Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey studying Radio/Television/Film, is extremely passionate about sports and his powerful, booming voice was meant for radio. Lou dreams of taking this podcast to the next level someday, reaching audiences all over the country.
You can catch Sweet Lou and the rest of the Cul-de-Sac gang on iTunes and SoundCloud as well as follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out the latest Episode #15 of “It’s Denza Time!”:
Alice Silverman was rifling through her son’s clothing drawers looking for something that might fit his childhood friend Ryan, who had been kicked out of his house and needed a place to stay. She had suspected that her son, Danny, had been using drugs for some time now. Her assumption was that he was into the normal stuff, weed and booze, like she had when she was younger, but she was stunned to discover needles and other heroin paraphernalia tucked away in his sock drawer.
Caught off guard and desperately lacking the resources needed to combat the addiction, Danny eventually succumbed when he overdosed on a batch of heroin laced with the exceptionally potent opiate Fentanyl. He was only 19 when he died on October 20th, 2006.
“I don’t really feel like the parents in this town were pro-active back then… maybe they talked to their kids at home, I don’t know, but as far as going to things at night to educate themselves more about, they might think they know it all but they really don’t. Because as kids get older they just get smarter. Generations go by and they come up with more and more technology, it helps them hide things that are… You know we didn’t have cell phones back in the ‘70s.”
The Problem
Heroin with two forms of paraphernalia: a spoon and a needle (Photo/ Medscape)
The abuse and addiction to opioid drugs such as heroin is a global issue that has a negative impact on the health, social, and economic welfare of all communities. About 36 million people abuse opioids worldwide and 2.1 million people from the United States suffer from substance abuse disorders relating to opioid pain relievers. The catastrophic effects of abuse and overdose has continued to rise. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “the number of unintentional overdose deaths from prescription pain relievers has soared in the United States, more than quadrupling since 1999.”
Opiates are drugs processed from morphine and extracted from certain poppy plants. Heroin, one of the most popular opiates, comes in a white or brownish powder. It’s street names include Big H, Black Tar, Chiva, Hell Dust, Horse, Negra, Smack, and Thunder. Heroin can be injected, smoked, or sniffed/snorted. Heroin is highly addictive. Its initial surge of euphoria is followed by a twilight state of “sleep and wakefulness.” According to JustThinkTwice.gov, physical symptoms of use include: drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils, nausea, a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and heavy extremities. If a user is unaware how much actual heroin is being used, it creates a very high risk of overdose. Overdose symptoms include slow and shallow breathing, blue lips and fingernails, clammy skin, convulsions, coma, and possible death.
The Statistics
Maple Shade, New Jersey
With a population of just over 19,000 people, there have been forty-seven heroin admissions and eighteen other opiate admissions to New Jersey substance abuse treatment facilities since 2010.
Source: NJ Division of Addiction Service
New Jersey as a Whole
There have been 5,217 heroin-related deaths recorded in New Jersey since 2004.
Source: NJ.com | Herointown, NJ
The heroin death-rate in New Jersey (per 100,000) is 8.3%, more than three times the national average. Heroin fatalities now eclipse homicide, suicide, car accidents and AIDS as a cause of death in the state, according to an analysis by NJ Advance Media.
Source: NJ.com | Herointown, NJ
In New Jersey, there have been 184,038 patients admitted to New Jersey substance abuse treatment facilities for heroin or opioid abuse since 2010. There have been 781 heroin-related deaths in New Jersey in 2014, the fourth straight year the state saw an increase.
The United States as a Whole
The United States has seen a steady increase in heroin use. The number of deaths from prescription opioid pain relievers in 2014 is up more than three times the amount in 2001.
Timelapse 1999-2014: Age-adjusted death rates for drug overdoses per 100,000 population by county and year (Source: data.cdc.gov)
Law-Enforcement
Lieutenant Jeffrey Hoch of the Maple Shade Police Department (Photo/ Stephen Harrison)
Lt. Jeffrey Hoch of the Maple Shade police department serves as the forces PIO, or public information officer. As a law enforcement agent, he sees the havoc that opiate use can wreak upon a family and the community at large.
“The financial need to support the habit drives the user to commit mostly property crimes to purchase their drugs. We kind of see it start out in stages, initially they’ll start stealing from family members, stealing things that are easy to dispose of which typically is jewelry, going to gold places, so on and so forth. Some then progress once they’re done stealing from their family. Like I said, it progresses in stages, after stealing from the family… they may graduate into stealing low level stuff, you know, milling around at night and going through unlocked cars and stealing items, stealing change, stealing GPS’s, phones from cars, and again things that they can go to places in the cities and trade in quickly for money, and the money is quickly turned into drugs… and then as things progress, and if they still don’t get arrested or someone still doesn’t avert them from the life of drugs then they get into more serious crimes… So we have seen families escalate to that and it’s terrible.”
While new medical devices such as Narcan are proven lifesavers, Lt. Hoch has some ambivalence about them.
“It’s kind of a… we talk about the overdose prevention act and all the good reasons that it’s in play, but the fact that people don’t get charged criminally, there might be some statistics, I don’t know, that would show that that’s a bad thing… If fear of incarceration or fear of monetary fine is what drives somebody to not do something again, we’ve removed that… but again, the important thing is to save lives.”
“Whatever we can do to mitigate it, whether it’s through education or through enforcement, either one the end goal is the same, it is to mitigate the problem.
The Users
Andrew J. Powell, 23, of Maple Shade (Photo/ South Jersey Times)
Andrew J. Powell was a resident of Maple Shade all his life. He was employed as a mechanic for Tolls Brothers in Morrisville, PA. On January 29, 2012, Powell passed away suddenly due to an overdose on heroin.
Adam Bush, 30, of Maple Shade (Photo/ SJ Magazine)
Adam Bush struggled with addiction for at least 10 years including several stints in rehab, who overdosed in 2015. According to the Adam Bush Memorial Fund, if you ever encountered Adam, you were instantly drawn to him. “He would instantly light up a room with his smile and immediately make you a friend with his infectious charisma.”
At a candlelight vigil held on August 31, 2016 in Washington Township for International Overdose Awareness Day, Adam’s mother, Michelle Bush said, “No one makes a choice to become an addict. This is a disease. They are normal people. They are our sons, daughters and husbands and wives.”
The Affected
Alice Silverman, active advocate for drug policy reform and education, lost her son to an overdose in 2006 (Photo/ Stephen Harrison)
Heroin doesn’t just affect the user. It affects the family and friends of the user as well as first-responders. Alice Silverman lost a son to opiate abuse in 2006, and the problem has not gone away for Maple Shade.
“As crazy as this sounds I feel like it’s more normal for your kid to have a drug problem than for your kid to not have a drug problem, because there’s so many kids doing it. We have an epidemic going on right now, it’s not just one kid on the block. I could drive you around this whole town and I could take out my sons and my daughter’s high school yearbooks and tell you which kids are dead, which kids are still using, which kids have recovered, which kids are in jail… It’s just crazy.”
Due to the ease with which public transportation in Maple Shade can get to popular drug buying hotspots in Camden and Philadelphia, people from surrounding communities take advantage of this.
“We’ve had kids from Moorestown, my son told me, and they would park here and they would give the kids from Maple Shade money to go to Camden for them, and they’d throw them money to get their own stuff.”
Silverman remains an active advocate for drug policy reform and education, and was among the activists who challenged Chris Christie to pass the Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act and Overdose Prevention Act.
The “Solutions”
In May of 2013, Governor Chris Christie signed into legislation laws that shield people from negative repercussions from the law when they call for medical help in cases dealing with illegal drug abuse.
The Overdose Prevention Act allows people to call for medical help if they witness, or are experiencing a drug overdose, without the fear of being arrested. Pharmacists or doctors who administer “opiate antidote” to people in emergency situations are also protected from prosecution.
The Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act works quite similarly. Individuals who call for emergency help when someone is overdosing will not be held liable for drug use or possession charges. These laws help combat the cases that go unreported and individuals left alone during overdose episodes due to the fear of the law.
Narcan Nasal Spray is the first FDA approved nasal spray life-saving medication that can stop or even reverse the effects of an opioid drug overdose. Narcan is to administered right away at the signs of a drug overdose. This medication is a prescription product, however, there are many states where an individual can purchase Narcan straight from a pharmacist without an individual prescription. This medication does not take the place of emergency medical care and 911 should still be called after administering the spray. Naloxone only used to be offered in injectable forms through a syringe or autoinjector. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s press release, first responders and caregivers think the nasal spray is easier to use and “people have access to an FDA-approved product for which the drug and its delivery device have met the FDA’s high standards for safety, efficacy and quality.”
Looking Forward
The explosion of opiate use nationwide is not a problem that is unique to Maple Shade, but it is a community that has been hit hard due to the ease with which the drugs can be accessed. Advocates such as Alice Silverman and law enforcement officers such as Lt. Jeffrey Hoch look at the problem from different perspectives, but they both agree that the bottom line is to mitigate the use of opiates and to save lives. A chaplain corps has been organized by the police in an effort to provide counseling and prevention. Alice Silverman has helped Narcan become available within schools and helps provide training in its use. But even Narcan may not be enough when heroin or other opiates are laced with dangerous additives such as Fentanyl, or the newly discovered U-47700, which is a synthetic opioid seven and a half times more powerful than morphine.
Alice Silverman sometimes walks through the graveyard where her son is buried, and has noticed a trend. Newer headstones tend to be black, like her sons, and she’s noticed that their prevalence has been increasing. She suspects that those headstones too belong to young Maple Shade residents whose lives have been cut short.
If you or someone you know are addicted to heroin or opiates, please call Your First Step at 1-855-211-7837 or Addiction Center Philadelphia at (877) 273-5741.
Students, Alumni, and Faculty Come Together to
Talk about Their Love for Rowan
GLASSBORO, NJ – The first week of October was Rowan University’s Homecoming Week 2016. On Wednesday October 5 at 6:30pm in the Owl’s Nest, Rowan held a Prof Talks event with the theme of Prof Pride. Speakers included current students, alumni, and faculty.
Mariah Francisco, a recent graduate of Rowan University, was one of the speakers as well as the one who ran the event. Check out my interview with Mariah below:
There were many great presentations during this particular Prof Talks, but the one that stood out to me the most was that of Noah Weinstein. Noah graduated in 2012 and had incomparable pride and love for this school. The Whit, Rowan’s school newspaper, recently wrote an article about Noah and named him “The Unofficial Mascot of Rowan University.” Check out my interview with him below:
Kathy Farrell, Donnie’s mother, is presented with her son’s commemorative jersey at the LAX for Donnie tournament. (The Whit: Staff Photo/ Ethan Stoezer)
GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University Men’s Club Lacrosse team hosted the first annual “LAX for Donnie” Memorial Tournament on Sunday April 19th.
Eight teams were in attendance, some from near, some far. They all came together to play lacrosse to honor Donald Farrell, a founder of the Rowan Lacrosse Club who was killed on Rowan’s campus in 2007.
The eight teams were divided up into two conferences. The “Donnie” Conference consisted of Dickinson College, Monmouth University, Philadelphia University, and Rowan University. The “Farrell” Conference consisted of Atlantic Cape Community College, The College of New Jersey, Drexel University, and Rider University. Each team played the three other teams in their respective conference. The team with the best record in each conference moved on to the championship game. Although LAX for Donnie was a lacrosse tournament, lacrosse was not the focal point of the event. This event was put together to honor and remember Donnie Farrell by playing the sport they all love.
The Farrell Family (L-R): Luke, Kathy, Donnie, Donald, Aimee, and Caitlin Farrell in 2007
At around 9 p.m. on Saturday October 27, 2007, during Rowan’s Homecoming Week, Donnie and a group of friends were walking toward Triad, an on-campus student apartment complex. In order to get there, they had to cross the intersection of Bowe Boulevard and Route 322. Less than 100 feet from that corner is was a convenience store called XPress Food Mart.
In that vicinity, they were stopped by a group of four or five young men who asked them for directions. While talking, two of the men suddenly and brutally attacked Donnie. Rowan Police responded to the 911 calls in only 90 seconds. By then, however, the assailants had fled with Donnie’s phone and wallet. Donnie was transported to Cooper Hospital in Camden, NJ.
The next morning, Donnie had passed away due to blunt force trauma to the right side of his neck.
Who were the men that killed Donnie? No one knows. They were never found, and after seven years of searching and a $100,000 reward, they still haven’t been found.
What We Know:
Sex: Male Race: African American Height: Approx. 5’10”-6’0” Build: Slim, Skinny Eye Color: Dark Hair: Braided, Slight “Scruffy” Facial Hair Nickname: “Smoke” Last seen wearing a limited edition Coogi Heritage Hoodie
..
More importantly, who was Donnie Farrell? Donnie was a 19-year-old Rowan University sophomore. He grew up and lived in Boonton, NJ and played lacrosse for his high school team, the Mountain Lakes Lakers. He was a straight-A student as well as a founding member of the Rowan University Men’s Club Lacrosse Team.
Donnie #55 with the very first Rowan University Men’s Club Lacrosse team in 2007
Donnie with his brother Luke
“Our team heard about this murder and we are disgusted at not only the fact that it happened, but at the fact that there is no place on campus to remember him. Our lacrosse team is a family. A family of which all players, both past, present and future, demand the same respect,” said tournament director, Rob Zybrick. “To show our respect to Donnie, and his family, we decided that we needed to give back, that we needed to create a place where Donnie will live on forever.” The team plans on installing a memorial on campus, however It needs to be approved by Rowan University President Ali Houshmand before proceeding with the project.
The tournament was very successful and stayed on schedule to the minute. The Rowan Rec Center allowed the lacrosse team to use Richard Wackar stadium and the Intramural Field. This allowed two games to be played at the same time. The first games began at 8 a.m. and the last game ended at 4 p.m. Many parents, friends, and fans came out to support their respective team and tailgated. Each team had their designated areas to park, where they were able to tailgate. Some teams brought frisbees, footballs, cornhole, etc. to pass the time between games. Many parents brought sandwiches and snacks while others cooked burgers and hotdogs. “Little Beefs” also set up a vendor stand and sold burgers, hot sandwiches, drinks, etc. During the tailgate the Farrell family was able to mingle with current Rowan lacrosse players and parents.
Rowan Lacrosse players playing cornhole between games at the tailgate.
When noon came around, the LAX for Donnie Ceremony began. The speakers of the ceremony were: Drew D’Elia, Director of Rowan Sport Clubs, Rob Zybrick , Tournament Director & Treasurer of the Rowan Men’s Lacrosse Club, Brian Mahoney, Tournament Director & Social Media/ Marketing Manager of the Rowan Men’s Lacrosse Club, and Kathy Farrell, Mother of Donnie Farrell. During the emotional ceremony, the Farrell Family was presented flowers, tournament shirts, Donnie’s framed lacrosse jersey, and a plaque of the official creation of the “Donnie Farrell Memorial” Scholarship.
After the ceremony, the games continued. Dickinson College and Drexel University were the two teams that went undefeated in their respective conferences, so they advanced to the championship game.
The two teams lined up at midfield and before the game started there was a moment of silence for Donnie. The National Anthem was then played, sending a chill down the spines of all the players of the field.
The championship game was very close. Dickinson College came back from a two-goal deficit and won 6-5. A bronze plate will be added to the side of the LAX for Donnie trophy.
The “LAX for Donnie” Championship Trophy
Kathy Farrell said, “I have been waiting, with pain in my heart, for something like this to happen. Donnie loved being at Rowan and he was so very proud to help create the first club lacrosse team.”
Donnie’s father, Donald, followed her comments up and said, “Let’s face it, you guys [the lacrosse team] are complete strangers. For you guys to do something like this is truly amazing. You won’t understand what you guys have done for us until you have kids of your own.”
The team was able to raise $4,725 via their GoFundMe page. The team also sold LAX for Donnie Tournament t-shirts and all the proceeds went toward the scholarship.
The tournament is expected to be an annual event and each year, the team will raise money for the scholarship. Zybrick hopes this will be a tradition that the future Rowan lacrosse teams will continue to follow.
Tournament Directors Rob Zybrick and Brian Mahoney with Kathy and Donald Farrell
GLASSBORO – Rowan University, in partnership with University Student Living LLC, will build a new housing complex on campus that would house 1400 students by fall 2016.
Rowan’s enrollment has grown at an exponential rate, causing student housing availabilities to diminish. Most freshmen at Rowan have been tripled in dorm rooms that are meant to house two students.
On Jan. 16, 2015, over Rowan University’s winter break, a special meeting of the Board of Trustees” took place to discuss the project, known as the Village Housing Project. Rowan University has partnered with University Students Living LLC (USL), an experienced campus housing developer, to build a new 23,000 square feet housing complex on campus. Besides the housing units, it will have a dining facility. The project is set to be complete no later than Aug. 7, 2016. There are many questions left unanswered by the resolution.
According to Joe Cardona, Vice President of University Relations, the housing project will not only help house more students, but it will also shift the student population toward downtown Glassboro and help the community. Cardona explained that this project will help create a broad mixture of housing, from more affordable to higher quality, giving students a choice. The big question hanging over this project is the cost. To this Cardona says, “The housing project will cost approximately $120 million.”
Joe Cardona, Vice President of University Relations
Since the project has been approved by the Board of Trustees, the project has gone into a period of 90 days (which started on January 16) in order for both the university and USL to complete their due diligence and make sure every aspect of the project is planned and ready to go. Cardona made it clear that this complex will be the first on-campus privately owned building that Rowan leases. It will be located on the east side of campus, across Route 322 from the Rowan Boulevard Apartments at what is now Parking Lot X. Cardona went into detail about how nice it will look with green grass, nice sidewalks, and a nice view of the retention pond. The university’s goal is to have 60 percent of full time students to be residential.
Lot X: Construction site for Village Housing Project
Freshmen will not be able to live in this building, as it is only open to upperclassmen. Freshmen will, however, be able to live in the newly constructed A2 Building, across from Barnes and Noble, which will also help accommodate the growing student body. Unlike the A2 building, the Village Housing Project is not multi-use, meaning there will be no vendors / shops or Glassboro residents permitted to live in it. The housing assignments for the Village Housing Project will be determined via lottery, the same way all housing for upperclassmen is handled. Students living in this new building will be able to park their cars in the parking garage next to the Rowan Boulevard Apartments, since there is plenty of room.
In regard to the dining hall, Cardona said it will be staffed by Gourmet Dining Services (GDS), whom has an exclusive contract with Rowan University. GDS will have subcontracts with different name brand vendors in the building as well. Cardona also said a gym will be installed into the building, however the details are still being figured out.
When asked about the Village Housing Project, not many students knew what it was. After they were given a quick run-down by a reporter, they all had the same general consensus.
Daniel Gianella, a 20 year-old sophomore at Rowan University, says, “The project seems like a great idea. Rowan definitely needs more housing. Too many students get screwed over in the housing lottery, and some don’t even get housing at all and are forced to move off-campus.”
Freshman student Caroline Bohlin says, “I think that it is important that this project gets completed. It will be worth it, especially due to the fact that Rowan is trying to increase the student body. I know our school is doing anything in its power to expand and this [project] is a good idea. It will definitely provide more students with more housing, specifically upperclassmen due to the fact that juniors and seniors are not always guaranteed housing.”
Junior student Matt Liss finds the project to be “necessary to be able to provide more housing for future students.” He continued, “It [the housing project] won’t benefit me since I am living off-campus, so I am just hoping this won’t affect tuition too much.”
If you ask any sophomore, junior, or senior at Rowan about housing, many will groan and explain how something needs to be done to accommodate more students. Once more students find out about this project, it may finally ease the animosity towards the housing lottery process. The housing project will most definitely help solve the problem of Rowan’s growing student body.
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ – In the State of the Union this past January, President Obama announced a plan to provide free community college education for five million eligible Americans, but how do current students and faculty in community colleges feel about this initiative?
The only way to truly know how current students and faculty feel is to jump right in and ask them. Rowan College at Gloucester County, the community college of Gloucester County, would be affected by President Obama’s initiative if it were to go through.
Bill Leonard, a professor at RCGC, finds the initiative as a great idea. “I believe it will have a positive effect on the school and other community colleges, as it might increase enrollment. The cost of education is rising, so this will give families an opportunity to cut some of those costs.” “There are certain stipulations for this plan, which I think is important, as you need to be working toward a degree, maintain a GPA at or above a 2.5, and so on, so this isn’t a program where you [the taxpayers] would just be throwing money away, you will be putting money toward individuals who have a goal and are pursuing that goal who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.”
It’s important to understand this plan in its entirety to be able to fully grasp what is being proposed. In his 2015 State of the Union Address, President Obama explained that “we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills. By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education. Keep in mind 40 percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy without a load of debt. Understand, you’ve got to earn it. You’ve got to keep your grades up and graduate on time.”
This is where the stipulations that Professor Leonard mentioned earlier come into play. To be considered eligible, students must attend community college at least half-time, maintain a2.5 GPA, and make steady progress toward completing their program. According to an article of The White House Blog, “The federal government must provide funding that would cover three-quarters of the average cost of community college. Participating states would be expected to contribute the remaining funds necessary to eliminate the tuition for eligible students. It is not certain what would happen if any one of these requirements are broken, however the student would most likely not be able to finish college for free.
Stephanie Miller, a student at RCGC, believes it’s a “great idea.” She also believes this program would cause more students to enroll in community colleges across the nation.
RCGC Student, Joshua Baumhauer, thinks this plan is somewhat of a good idea. Since this plan would not go into place for a few years, he and every other community college student currently paying for their education will not be able to receive a free community college education. When asked if he was upset by this, he confidently stated, “No.” He believes this plan “would probably end up making it so the colleges are not making as much money, but more students across the country would be able to have the opportunity to get an education and go out for jobs they normally would not have been hired to do with just a high school diploma.” Baumhauer believes that despite raised taxes, the pros will outweigh the cons in this situation.
Ashley Powers, another RCGC student, believes that Americans who have already graduated from college and don’t have kids to send to college (or the kids already graduated from college) aren’t going to want to pay extra taxes for these people to go to college for free. She says, “The plan has good intentions, but has some flaws. It needs to be tweaked.”
The American Graduation Initiative, if passed, would only cover the cost of tuition. It says nothing about books, transportation, meals, housing (if applicable), or other fees that students would have to pay to be able to go to a community college. Not mentioning this in the proposal seems quite misleading, critics of the plan say. According to President Obama, if all 50 states choose to implement this new community college proposal, it could save a full-time community college student $3,800 in tuition per year on average and benefit roughly 9 million students each year. Professors and students alike seem to support the president’s plan for free community college despite some of the shortcomings. They find that the pros outweigh the cons. It is still not certain when, or if, this plan will be put into action.
According to the party-going YouTube Channel “I’m Shmacked,” they are coming to Rowan, and it will be soon. Last week, they announced on Twitter that they confirmed Rowan University as a part of their Spring 2015 Tour, however there is still no confirmed date as to when they are coming. Today (Feb. 4th) they suggested that they may set up an event at SoundGarden Hall, a concert venue/ club in Philadelphia, and will have party buses bring people to the club.
SoundGarden Hall responded to I’m Shmacked’s tweet by saying, “Yes.” This shows that SoundGarden supports I’m Shmacked’s plan to set up an event at the venue.
This takes a big load off the shoulders of both school officials and local law enforcement, since they will not be throwing a house party near campus. However, this does not mean that the school will condone participating in this event.
I will keep a close eye on I’m Shmacked’s twitter page and update this story when new information is released.
General Manager of the New Jersey Devils, Lou Lamoriello has confirmed that Martin Brodeur, the NHL’s all-time winningest goalie, will announce his retirement during a press conference at the Scottrade Center on Thursday January 29th at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will also become a member of the St. Louis front office and travel with the Blues for the remainder of the season.
According to Lamoriello, Marty is staying with the team for the rest of the season because he made a commitment to the team when they signed him on November 26, 2014 as a replacement for the injured Brian Elliott. When he joined the team, Marty was placed into a rotation with Jake Allen, the other backup goalie for the Blues. Upon Elliott’s return, Marty became the “third-string” goalie and essentially the odd man out. Brodeur was granted a leave of absence from the St. Louis Blues to “ponder his future.” It was during this time off that Marty had finally come to the decision that his time to hang up the skates has come.
Lamoriello said he has talked to Brodeur throughout the goalie’s leave of absence from the Blues.
“Marty and I have been in constant contact,” Lamoriello said. “I certainly understand what he is doing. Marty is a very loyal guy in both ways. They [the Blues] gave him an opportunity [to play]. There are a lot of things going through his mind right now. He’ll be back with the Devils.”
Brodeur will finish his career nine wins short of 700. His record is 691-397-105 (ties)-49 (OT) with a 2.24 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
All but seven games were playing in a Devils jersey. He was 3-3-0 with a .2.87 GAA and .899 save percentage for the Blues this season.
Sportsnet.ca first reported that Brodeur would join the Blues’ front office.
“This will be a little different experience for him,” Lamoriello said. “He’s going to now work with the team ion the hockey side of it, traveling with the team. He’ll be on the road with them. He’s talked to me about all of this.”
My Take on Marty’s Retirement
As a huge New Jersey Devil’s fan (and Martin Brodeur fan), I was relatively upset that Marty was hanging up the skates. My whole life up until last year, Marty Brodeur had always been between the pipes for the Devils, except when he was injured of course. My father told me when I was young that Brodeur would be one of the greats. He led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995, my year of birth. He also led them to two more Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003, alongside other NJ Devil greats such as Ken Daneyko, Patrik Elias, Claude Lemieux, and Scott Stevens. Brodeur is also a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist with Team Canada (2002, 2010). Along with having 691 wins and 125 shutouts, the most in NHL history, he also holds many other records. Brodeur’s final win and shutout came Dec. 29 for the Blues against the Colorado Avalanche, coached by Patrick Roy, whose wins record Brodeur broke.
I knew this day would come, just like the day when the Devils would have a new starting goalie, Cory Schneider. With fingers crossed, I am hoping that Marty comes back to the New Jersey Devils and becomes a part of the coaching staff. You can bet that I’ll be there when they raise his number 30 into the rafters at the Prudential Center next to Ken Daneyko (#3), Scott Stevens (#4), and Scott Niedermayer (#27). It’s hard to let go, especially for Marty, but I got the privilege of watching this legend play the greatest game on the planet, hockey.
Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo have all declared a state of emergency in their respective states due to Winter Storm Juno.
This storm is expected to dump massive amounts of snow throughout the region, with upwards of 2-3 feet in some areas.
Rowan University sent out an alert today stating, “Due to the inclement weather, all of Rowan University campuses will close today at 4:45 pm today, Monday Jan. 26. Any decision about tomorrow’s status will be made by 6 am, but notice will only be given if campuses are to be closed.”
Other New Jersey universities such as Monmouth, NJIT, Princeton, Ramapo, Rider, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Stockton, TCNJ, and William Paterson have all been closed as well.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered all non-essential drivers off the city’s roads after 11 p.m. Monday and announced that the city’s schools would officially close Tuesday because of forecast impacts.
The storm threatens to bury communities in the tri-state area with more than 2 feet of snow and bring heavy sustained winds that may cause power outages and make roads impassable.
“This will most likely be one of the largest blizzards in the history of New York City,” he said, NBC News reported, as The National Weather Service’s blizzard warning took effect at 1 p.m. EST. “This is not a typical storm. It’s going to pack a punch. What you’re going to see in a few hours is something that hits very hard and very fast.”
Subway service will be available, but limited, after 7 p.m. Monday, while service on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North will likely cease at 11 p.m., The New York Timesreported Monday afternoon.
Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency, authoring the closure of the state government for all non-essential employees Tuesday and activating the state emergency response plans. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also issued a travel ban for the state after 9 p.m. Monday.
Snowfall forecast for New Jersey and the New York City and Philadelphia areas.
“Do not plan on traveling unless absolutely necessary from Monday evening through the duration of the storm,” Gov. Malloy said at a press conference.
In the region, many schools announced either closures or early dismissals for Monday, along with the cancelation of after-school activities, local NBC outlets reported. Schools across all three states have reported closures for Tuesday.
Juno dusted the region in snow beginning early Monday morning with the snowfall pace forecast to pick up after sundown.
The National Weather Service declared a blizzard warning from 1 p.m. Monday to midnight Tuesday local time with a coastal flood watch also in effect. At the time, the agency called Juno’s total impact in the region “crippling and potentially historic.”
Snow is forecast to fall at a rate of 2 to 4 inches per hour with wind gusts up to 55 mph in some areas, particularly along coastal Long Island. Less-severe impacts are expected toward inland New Jersey.
Local officials including governors Christie and Dannel and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been urging individuals to stay home and avoid travel.
Thousands of flights across the region have been canceled in advance of the storm, according to FlightAware.com. United Airlines canceled all flights Tuesday from Newark, Laguardia and New York’s JFK airports. Most major air carriers are allowing for free flight changes and waivers for Northeast travelers, in many cases, through Friday.
Shortly after 1 p.m. EST Monday, Amtrak announced that it will run on a modified schedule for the remainder of the day. The status of Tuesday’s service is unknown, so travelers should check with the railway before making plans. Amtrak also announced pre-storm preparations including the mobilization of additional staff and repair crews to ensure rail lines remain clear and fully functional.
New York’s de Blasio and others also urged advanced planning before the storm. “My message to all New Yorkers is to prepare for something worse than we have seen before…. Don’t underestimate this storm,” he said at Sunday a press conference. “Prepare for the worst, and we will all get through this together.”
On Monday, the mayor urged city residents on Twitter to leave work early if possible, and to use mass transit rather than drive on the potentially dangerous and clogged roadways.
The New York and New Jersey Port Authority and New York City’s MTA have said in statements they’re ready with full crews. The organizations have said they will start an ongoing operation to help keep roadways clear and mass transit systems operating. On the New Jersey Transit system, all bus, rail and light rail passes will be “cross honored” from system to system until Wednesday, the company announced on Twitter Monday morning.
New York City’s Department of Sanitation called in its reserve of temporary emergency snow-removal workers Sunday, ahead of Juno’s arrival, CBS New York reported.
Several of the state’s Department of Transportation lots worked to avoid last year’s shortage of rock salt by ordering the commodity early, News 12 New Jersey said.
Schools across the tri-state area, including the New York Public Schools, opened Monday, but many field trips and after-school activities were canceled.
“Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we’ve been in almost 30 years.”
“For the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain.”
“The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.”
“Today, America is number one in oil and gas. America is number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save $750 at the pump.”
“Today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high. And more Americans finish college than ever before.”
Middle-Class Economics
“Every moment of economic change throughout our history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity. We gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the internet – tools they needed to go as far as their effort will take them. That’s what middle-class economics is – the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We don’t just want everyone to share in America’s success – we want everyone to contribute to our success.”
“So what does middle-class economics require in our time?”
“First – middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement – and my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.”
“Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills. I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college – to zero. Forty percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. Understand, you’ve got to earn it – you’ve got to keep your grades up and graduate on time.”
“Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill.”
“So to every CEO in America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who’s going to get the job done, hire a veteran.”
Cuba
“In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo. As His Holiness, Pope Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of “small steps.” These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba. And after years in prison, we’re overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs. Welcome home, Alan.”
Iran and their Nuclear Program
“Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies – including Israel; while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict. There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran.”
Cyber Attacks and Cyber Security
“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s information. If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable. If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.”
Ebola
“The world needs to use this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.”
Climate Change
“2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does – 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it. In Beijing, we made an historic announcement – the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions. And because the world’s two largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we’ve got.”
Freedom and Human Dignity
“As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened, which is why I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It’s why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It’s why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims – the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace. That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer.”
Guantanamo Bay (GTMO)
“Since I’ve been President, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in half. Now it’s time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down. It’s not who we are.”
Better Politics
“There wasn’t a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black America or a white America – but a United States of America. I still believe that we are one people. I still believe that together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long. I believe this because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America at its best.”
“Understand – a better politics isn’t one where Democrats abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.”
“A better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears. A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other; where we talk issues, and values, and principles, and facts, rather than “gotcha” moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people’s daily lives. A better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting young people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility, and asking them to join in the great mission of building America. If we’re going to have arguments, let’s have arguments – but let’s make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.”
Imigration
“We still may not agree on a woman’s right to choose, but surely we can agree it’s a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the health care she needs. Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no one benefits when a hardworking mom is taken from her child, and that it’s possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it’s being denied to too many; and that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.”
Everybody Matters
“I want future generations to know that we are a people who see our differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity and worth of every citizen – man and woman, young and old, black and white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and Native American, gay and straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability. I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still know to be true: that we are still more than a collection of red states and blue states; that we are the United States of America. I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up these past six years: “It is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to…we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.”
Conclusion
“My fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit family. We, too, have made it through some hard times. Fifteen years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking America. We’ve laid a new foundation. A brighter future is ours to write. Let’s begin this new chapter – together – and let’s start the work right now.”
“Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.”
Mahoney Media 