Former HFA principal passed away
Sister Mary Ellen Ford, sister of St. Joseph of Chestnut, Philadelphia, died on Monday, Sept. 2 at St. Joseph Villa.
Sister Mary Ellen served as principal of Holy Family Academy form 1997 to 2009, as principal of Wildwood Catholic, and prior to that as a social studies teacher at Queen of Peace in North Arlington.
Most recently, Sister Mary Ellen served as administrative assistant to President Father John Adams at SOME, an organization based in Washington, DC, which offers comprehensive outreach to the hungry and homeless.
Born in Roselle, NJ, Sister Mary Ellen is predeceased by her parents Robert and Vivian T. Ford and leaves behind beloved siblings Patrick and Patricia J. Ford, Florence Elaine and James Pissott, Eileen Ford and Barbara Lacz, Robert Ford, Betty and Nick DeMarco, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and councils.
A graduate of Holy Family Academy, Chestnut Hill College, University of Virginia and Boston College, Sister Mary Ellen treasured the HFA community and took pride in her “Women of Vision” graduates.
Visitation is Thursday, Sept. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. at St. Joseph Villa, Flourtown, PA, followed by Mass of the Resurrection at 3 p.m. Bus transportation to St. Joseph Villa will be provided, departing HFA at 11 a.m. and returning by 7:30 p.m. To reserve a seat place call Denise Lew at (201) 320-4802.
Chinese steel becomes issue in Bayonne Bridge road-raising
The use of steel made in China appears to have raised concerns among some union workers involved in the raising of the Bayonne Bridge roadway.
According to a published account, a union for the U.S. steel industry criticized the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for using imported steel rather than a local variety.
The steel is being purchased through the contractor hired to do the construction work, not the Port Authority directly, the report said, noting that both domestic and foreign steel is being used.
Cunningham awards annual scholarship to local students
The annual scholarship winners for the Sandra and Glenn D. Cunningham Foundation were announced today as students look forward to the fall school semester.
A total of 15 students were selected as scholarship recipients for students heading to schools throughout the area such as St. Peter’s University and William Paterson college or as far away as West Virginia University and Howard University in Washington D.C. Of the group, eight new students were selected as scholarship winners while seven students were continued scholarship recipients.
“Each and every year we coordinate our efforts to ensure that the foundation lives up to its founding ideals of assisting students through scholarships to realize their dreams of higher education,” said foundation president and co-founder Sandra Cunningham.
As one of the founding principles of the foundation, scholarship recipients will be paired with a community mentors from diverse backgrounds. These mentors will serve as role models for the young students and also a sounding board for students needing guidance in these crucial phases of their lives. Each scholarship winner will receive a check for $1,500 to help defray the cost of tuition.
“This is why Glenn and I formed the foundation, to help those who need it most as they pursue a path to better their lives through education,” Cunningham said.
The new recipients are: Derrick James, Rider college; Ashley Harrison, NJCU; Cornelius Higgins, West Virginia University Institute of Technology; Naomi Lopez and Raquel Smith, both heading to William Paterson University; Renique Wallace, Kean university; Jasmine Rosario, LIM University; and Brianna Lawrence, St. Peter’s University.
Returning recipients are: Danielle Jimenez, St. John’s University; Brian Villa, HCCC; Alexandria Henderson, Howard University; Deysha Beals, Penn State; James Wright. Jr., Stockton State College; Jocelyn Lennon, William Paterson; and Melvin Badger, Montclair State.
First Hudson County Government Scholarships awarded
Students from around the county were awarded Hudson County Government Scholarships going into the new school year to study at Hudson County Community College—launching a program that was established by the Hudson County Freeholders earlier this year.
The selection process included vetting through the office of Student Financial Assistance to determine need, and an academic records review to determine academic eligibility. Personal essays and letters of recommendation were also considered in the selection process. A concerted effort was also made to ensure all municipalities were well represented in the final selections.
A typical fulltime student can expect to pay $1,900 per semester, ($3,800 per year) in tuition and fees. For 32 students, this adds up to nearly $122,000 per year. The difference of $3,000 ($125,000 minus $122,000) will cover the additional lab fees for HCGS recipients enrolled in programs with higher fees such as nursing and culinary arts.
The students included Omar Tariq, Marco Ashamalla and Rania Elmosallamy, of Bayonne; Hector Martinez and Loriebel McElrone, of Hoboken; Dezza Ardes, Gjergji Qipo, Ismal Eljacifi, Mathew Navarro, Elizabeth Mbong and Gustavo Guifarro, of Jersey City; Angie Santa Cruz, of Guttenberg; Kiana Ortiz, Tracy Galvez, Fabricio Galvez, and Luisa Car, of North Bergen; Maria Garcia, of Secaucus, Yoxandry Polanco, Medalit Sullon, Brenda Mugambe, Steven Brand Vargas, Ndeye Sall, and Jessica Chicas, of Union City; James Melgerajo, of Weehawken; and Frany Hernadez, Sergio Londono, Elsy Gabriela Cruz, Umar Abbasi, and Mildalnny Frias.—By Al Sullivan