NJ Increases Funding For Home Heating Assistance Programs

NEW BRUNSWICK—Last week, Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced an $88 million increase in state and federal funding that will be aimed at helping struggling New Jerseyans keep their homes heated this winter.

Last year, LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) served about 196,000 households in New Jersey. The additional funding allows the State to expand eligibility by raising the income limit to qualify from 175 percent to 225 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($47,700 for a family of four), and will quadruple the Oil household benefit to an average of $1,300 per household. It is estimated that the funding increase will provide aid to an additional 50,000 New Jersey families. Federal funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the program is administered through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Community Resources.

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New Jersey Democrats In Trouble

By Michael M. Shapiro

New Jersey Democrats are basking in the glory of a solid national Democratic showing; however, closer to home, the prospects for this coming election are currently not looking rosy. They have good reason to be concerned.

Millions of people throughout our nation have unrealistically high expectations for President-elect Obama. A panacea where partisanship becomes a thing of the past will, in all probabilities, simply not occur. While Obama will try to tackle the problems facing our nation, there is no easy fix to the majority of them. The choices are painful and the American people will not be happy when these difficult decisions are made by the President and the Congress. Furthermore, a significant number of our most pressing issues, from the economy to healthcare to the environment to terrorism, will not be solved in a year and are most likely to get worse before they get better.

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“Role Models” – Doesn’t Make Much of an Impression – 2 popcorns

By Michael S. Goldberger, film critic

Director David Wain’s “Role Models” uneventfully reminds that in the movies no good deed, especially as concerns children, is ventured unless mandated by the court system. Which is precisely how and why soft drink peddling partners Danny Donahue (Paul Rudd) and Anson Wheeler (Seann William Scott) come to be Big Brothers of sorts.

Well, “Bigs” will do. That’s what the social workers at Sturdy Wings call their, uh, volunteers. And the irascible and/or dejected kids they attempt to pair with their shanghaied Bigs are “Littles.” Here, the beneficiaries of Danny and Wheeler’s forced good will are the Dickensian-named Augie Farks and swearing prodigy Ronnie Shields.

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Holiday Heroes

Holiday Heroes—Local heroes, retired Army veteran Thomas Dresdner, Cpl. Denise Handibode and retired Air Force Colonel, Ray Shepherd helped ShopRite Partners In Caring deliver their annual Thanksgiving turkey donation to the Community Food Bank of NJ on Veteran’s Day.

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Veterans Remembered

Veterans Remembered — In honor of Veterans Day, the Pettit Davis Funeral Home presented a framed display of military medals and honors to American Legion, Post 5 of Rahway. Pictured left to right are Bill Disney, a US Marine Corps veteran of WWII; Commander Eugene Kolb and William G. Davis, both US Marine Corps veterans; Rahway Mayor James J Kennedy and Eleanor Ringled, past president of Unit 5.

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