Bill at Would Provide Funding For Veterans Housing Takes Step Forward CAPITOL COMMENTS

9th Legislative District

Senator Christopher Connors

TRENTON – The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee approved legislation (S-171) introduced by Senator Christopher Connors that would permit a portion of municipal development trust funds to be spent on housing affordability assistance to

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veterans.

Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove are the prime sponsors of the Assembly companion version, A-745, which is awaiting consideration by the Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Grants under the program would be limited to $15,000 per recipient, and would not be considered income for the purpose of determining eligibility or benefit levels for other State programs, or for purposes of taxation.

Current law permits a municipality that is authorized to collect affordable housing fees under the rules of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to set aside amounts from the fees collected to provide affordability assistance programs. This may include down payment assistance, security deposit assistance, low interest loans, common maintenance expenses for units located in condominiums, rental assistance, and any other program authorized by the COAH.

The all-Republican 9th District Delegation issued a statement following the Committee’s approval of their veterans-related legislative initiative:

“Improving the quality of life for our veterans remains among our Delegation’s top priorities. Providing down payment assistance to fi rsttime homebuying veterans from available funding resources is consistent with that commitment.

“New Jersey’s cost of living is too high for too many residents, including veterans. Tax relief is desperately needed by a broad array of residents who want to still call New Jersey home, but unfortunately are encountering severe and persistent fi nancial burdens that the state needs to alleviate.

“Our Delegation’s proposed initiative is focused on assisting those veterans who are working to realize the dream of owning a home and possibly starting a family. These veterans are defi nitively deserving of this benefit in light of their honorable service to our nation.

“Lastly, we are proud to say that this legislative proposal has bipartisan support in both Houses of the Legislature by way of co-sponsorship, which is necessary if it is to advance to the Governor’s desk.” Members of the 9th Legislative District serve on the Senate and Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, respectively.

“Herb designed our defense, our inbound plays, our press break, and has been crucial to our success,” DiFrancia shared. “We joke around about making a movie called ‘The Janitor’ because Herb is literally the school janitor and comes into the gym with his keys and garbage can. He then takes over practice like a basketball guru.”

DiFrancia’s son Dylan is on the Knights roster as is the son of one of the other assistant coaches. Liz Huff surely was happy when her son Jacob returned to the game before the season ended. The tallest player and one of the top Knights, Jacob Huff dislocated his knee early in the year.

Meanwhile, height turned out not to be everything when it came to watching the Knights in the fi nals against St. Peter’s School from Point Pleasant Beach. Justin Arias’ talent proved limitless as the team’s star point guard.

Justin dribbled and took shots with in- credible dexterity as he ran with amazing speed. Word has it that Justin is headed to Christian Brothers Academy on an athletic scholarship. It turns out Justin’s as much a star on the soccer field and is on travel teams for both sports.

Haley Vidal is living proof that the game can be competitive as well as fun. DiFrancia described Haley as a beast on defense and as completely fearless.

“She is one of our top players,” added DiFrancia. “She’s also not alone as far as being fearless on the courts.”

Jack McGuire showcased his skills as he got hot on the court, together with C.J. Moody, a backup center who demonstrated the benefits of dedicated practice.

The Knights seemed to know they can count on some great shots from Nellie Guadagnoli and Julyana Asouria and looked for openings to get the ball to them.

“Sean Stretch is a seventh grader and has started for us many of our games,” DiFrancia said. “He’s a good ball handler point guard who can dribble and shoot well, and who should do well next year.”

DiFrancia’s hoping other seventh graders will come back next season. He’s watched Kyle Galdon come out of his shell, and also saw Ricky Karkovice as soaring from the basics to a potential starter next year. No doubt the fact that DiFrancia is a trial attorney has taught his son a bit about strategy. Dylan never seemed to run out of gas as he tactically planned his moves.

Meanwhile, DiFrancia said his major emphasis as a coach was to teach the kids to work as a team. The drills apparently worked as the Knights only lost to one team in their league – the one they faced in the fi nals.

Unbeknownst to DiFrancia, the accep- tance of co-ed teams or all girls teams in boys basketball leagues isn’t necessarily the norm.

Back in 2016, a young girl’s parents went to court when another Catholic school in Kenilworth refused to allow her to play on the boys basketball team. An Alabama league last week refused to award a girls’ team a trophy after they won a hoops tourney in a boys league.

The good news isn’t just that the Monmouth Ocean County Parochial Basketball League acknowledged the Knights as a coed team with great talent. They also singled out Haley with a sportsmanship award at the tournament’s conclusion.

Your Eyes Can Recover From Sun Damage

Most people probably don’t think about their eyes getting sunburned. We wear sunglasses to protect them from long-term damage, but the fact is our eyes can become sunburned after even a short period in sunlight (or any exposure to UV light, such as a tanning bed). This painful condition, called photokeratitis, can cause watery, bloodshot eyes that feel gritty, as if they have sand or some other small material in them. They are also vulnerable to bright lights. Luckily, photokeratitis usually lasts only a few days because our eyes are quite resilient and able to heal from most sun damage. Repeated sunburns, however, can lead to problems including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

While sunglasses are a good idea when it comes to eye protection, not all sunglasses are created equal. Choose sunglasses that limit transmission to no more than 1 percent UVB and 1 percent UVA rays. According to eye experts more is better when it comes to protecting your eyes from the sun. If you’re planning to be out in the sun, protect your eyes with a combination of quality sunglasses, UV-blocking contact lenses and a wide-brimmed hat. To schedule an eye exam, please call SIGHTMD NEW JERSEY SUSSKIND & ALMALLAH EYE ASSOCIATES at 732-349-5622. We offer evening hours most nights of the week. P.S. Those who are more likely to develop pterygia, such as surfers, farmers, and welders, can reduce their risk by consistently wearing proper eye protection.