Dewane Parker has over 30 years of experience in Law Enforcement and as a Security Specialist. As a former Federal Agent and Personal Protection Commander he has exceptional knowledge and personal protection skills in various environments. Dewane Parker has served three U.S. Presidents (Reagan, Bush, and Clinton) and these unique experiences significantly enhanced his overall background to be a positive contributing member of Law Enforcement and around the world. He also volunteers and advocates for at risk youth to ensure that they are provided services to enhance their leadership, education and job opportunities in the future.
Dewane Parker is also an actor full-time and has been on Cable television shows and movies that includeLaw & Order SVU, Blue Bloods, Persons of Interest, Elementary, Blacklist, Limitless, Mysteries of Laura, and Movies to date are Creed and Money Monster. He is also a full-time writer and resides in New Jersey.
COMING JANUARY 2016
BORN DEAD
The Life and Times of Agent/Operative Stacy Mays
Book Synopsis
Born in a corrupted world full of sin, yet commissioned to restore order and bring peace to it. Harnessing the pain of being tattooed by Satan himself; this fuels his desire to bring justice to all who choose to engage in crime. This is the life and everyday struggle of Operative Stacy Mays. He is constructed by the government to inflict massive punishment with no fear of death. Yes, his life is not his own. After all, why should it be? He was Born Dead…
GOP Sells America Down the River
December 17, 2015
RUSH: The country was just sold down the river again by your very Republican Party.
I have a headline here from the Washington Times: “White House Declares Total Victory Over GOP in Budget Battle.” That headline’s a misnomer. There was never a battle. None of this was opposed. The Republican Party didn’t stand up to any of it, and the die has been cast for a long time on this. I know many of you are dispirited, depressed, angry, combination of all of that. But, folks, there was no other way this could go. Because two years ago when the Republican Party declared they would never do anything that would shut down the government and they would not impeach Obama, there were no obstacles in Obama’s way and there were no obstacles in the way of the Democrat Party.
When you surrender the power of the purse — and that’s the primary power the House of Representatives has. Not a penny of money can be spent in this country by this government without the House of Representatives authorizing it. Obama can spend all he wants, but if the House doesn’t give him the mechanism, he can’t spend any of it. But the Republicans squandered that. They gave up the power of the purse. The reason they did that is because for some inexplicable reason, they are literally paranoid and scared to death of even being accused of doing something that would shut down the government.
So to avoid even the accusation that they were going to or would ever even think of shutting down the government, they signaled that whatever Obama wanted to spend, he would get, because they figured that had less damage to them politically than the allegation that they were shutting down the government. So, very simply, ever since the Republican Party became the party of keeping the government open at all costs, we get bills like this. There’s simply no stopping the Democrats. There’s no mechanism. Every constitutional mechanism found in the power of the purse, Separation of Powers, the Republican Party years ago gave it away, in total fear of the media.
Now, there’s also a factor that needs to be mentioned, too, and that is that many Republican donors want every bit of this money spent, and they have donated voluminously to key Republicans in order to get the money spent. So it’s not all Republican fears. It’s not all Republican caving. A lot of it is Republican fealty and loyalty to some of their donors. Some people today looking at this, and this is 2,009 pages. It’s said to be a spending bill. Among the things that it does, it fully funds Obamacare.
Senate President Steve Sweeney just proposed a Constitutional amendment that would give public workers unions all they want on pensions, and ask nothing in return. Star-Ledger Editorial Board, The Star-Ledger Read more
New York State Task Force recommends overhauling Common Core and adopting new, high quality, locally-driven New York State-specific designed standards
Task Force also recommends reducing over-testing to reduce anxiety
Governor Cuomo announced the final report and recommendations of the Common Core Task Force – a diverse group of educators, parents, education officials and state representatives – which was charged with comprehensively reviewing and making recommendations on reforming the current Common Core system and the way we teach and test our students. The Task Force recommends overhauling the current Common Core system and adopting new, locally-driven New York State standards in a transparent and open process to make sure all students are prepared to succeed in an increasingly competitive 21st century economy. The new standards, curriculum and tests must be uniquely developed for New York students with sufficient local input. The Task Force also recommends that current Common Core aligned tests should not count for students or teachers until the start of 2019-2020 school year to ensure the system is implemented completely and properly to avoid the errors caused by the prior flawed implementation.
Governor Cuomo said: “After listening to thousands of parents, educators and students, the Task Force has made important recommendations that include overhauling the Common Core, adopting new locally-designed high quality New York standards, and greatly reducing testing and testing anxiety for our students. The Common Core was supposed to ensure all of our children had the education they needed to be college and career-ready – but it actually caused confusion and anxiety. That ends now. Today, we will begin to transform our system into one that empowers parents, teachers and local districts and ensures high standards for all students. I thank the Task Force members for their thorough work. Together we will ensure that New York’s schools provide the world-class education that our children deserve.”
The Task Force was chaired by Richard Parsons, Senior Advisor, Providence Equity Partners, LLC and former Chairman of Citigroup.
Richard Parsons said: “While adoption of the Common Core was extremely well intentioned, its implementation has caused confusion and upheaval in classrooms across New York State. We believe that these recommendations, once acted on, provide a means to put things back on the right track and ensure high quality standards that meet the needs of New York’s kids. The recommendations will provide the foundation to restore public trust in the education system in New York and build on the long history of excellence that preceded this period. On behalf of all the Task Force members, I thank everyone who submitted feedback during our review, as well as the Governor for providing us with this opportunity to improve the education system for students across New York State.”
The Task Force heard from more than 2,100 students, parents, teachers, administrators and other education stakeholders through public forums held across the state, thousands of pages of testimony and outreach to educators.
The Task Force affirmed the importance of maintaining the highest quality standards and performance measures in education. However, the Task Force found that over the past decade there has been rapid change in education, including the 2009 federal Race to the Top and Common Core which has created confusion and disruption in states across the nation, including New York. Moreover, the original process to adopt and implement the Common Core standards, curriculum and tests in New York had implementation issues and failed to include sufficient input from educators, parents and local districts and was not open and transparent.
To ensure that the State moves forward with high quality education standards the Task Force made 21 recommendations including:
Overhauling the Common Core and adopting locally-driven high quality New York education standards with input from local districts, educators, and parents through a transparent and open process that are age-appropriate and allow educators flexibility for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.
Establishing a transparent and open process by which New York standards are periodically reviewed by educators and content area experts, since educators know their schools and students best.
Providing educators and local school districts with the flexibility to develop and tailor curriculum to meet the needs of their individual students and requiring the State to create and release new and improved curriculum resources that educators can then adapt to meet the needs of their individual students.
Engaging New York educators, not a private corporation, to drive the review and creation of State standards-aligned tests in an open and transparent manner.
Minimizing student testing anxiety by reducing the number of test days and test questions and providing ongoing test transparency to parents, teachers and districts on test questions and student test scores.
Ensuring that State tests account for different types of learners, including Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.
The Task Force found that to implement the new system would require significant work including a comprehensive review of the current Common Core Standards in order to adopt new New York State Standards and create new curriculum and assessments in an open and transparent manner for the nearly 700 school districts, 5,000 schools, 200,000 plus teachers and 2.65 million students. Therefore, the Task Force believes that in order to finally get the system right there must be adequate time to implement the system. Given all of the work and time required to review and adopt new standards, improve and adapt curriculum, and create new assessments, any current Common Core aligned tests should not count for students or teachers until the start of 2019-2020 school year when the new statewide standards developed through this process will be put into place.
Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan said: “Today’s task force report is another step forward in our overall efforts to ensure that New York’s educational system is both student-centric and parent-centric. These reforms will build on what we have already done to ease the anxiety that exists in many classrooms across the state while reinforcing the importance of high standards. I thank Senator Marcellino for his contributions and look forward to discussing this report with the Governor, the Assembly, and all of the various stakeholders across this state.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said: “While there is still much work left to be done, this report is a good first step in our efforts to improve New York’s educational standards and overhaul Common Core. The Assembly has long fought for the principles underlying the report’s recommendations. I thank Assembly Education Chair Cathy Nolan for her hard work on the Commission, and we look forward to working with parents, students, teachers, principals, superintendents, school board members and advocates in our effort to ensure that New York has the best education system possible. Our children deserve nothing less.”
New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch said: “The Task Force has adopted many if not most of the Board of Regents’ recommendations for improving the implementation of the higher standards we’ve set for our students. The most important message in the Task Force report is the renewed commitment to adopting and maintaining higher standards. We cannot turn our backs on our students at a time when the world is demanding more from them – more skills, more knowledge, more problem-solving.”
New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said: “In my first few months as commissioner, I’ve traveled across the state and heard a large cross section of New Yorkers — our teachers, parents and educators –share their deep concern for improving the education of our children. And as a member of the Common Core Task Force, I’ve heard those same stakeholders express those same concerns. Likewise, the Department’s AimHighNY survey unfolded the same passionate call for clear learning standards to serve as guideposts to future success for our children. Now it’s time to move forward and deliver on the promise we’ve made to our students and give them the best schools possible.”
The comprehensive report provides the history and context of learning standards and specifically, a review of the Common Core Standards in New York; a summary of testimony and stakeholder feedback across several categories and specific Task Force responses; and a full description of Task Force Recommendations.
The Education Transformation Act of 2015 will remain in place, and no new legislation is required to implement the recommendations of the report, including recommendations regarding the transition period for consequences for students and teachers. During the transition, the 18 percent of teachers whose performance is measured, in part, by Common Core tests will use different local measures approved by the state, similar to the measures already being used by the majority of teachers.
The report builds on the Governor’s longstanding commitment to education reform, including the recent laws together with the Legislature banning standardized testing for students in pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade, capping test preparation to two percent of learning time, not counting the Common Core scores against students and requiring the State Education Department to help districts eliminate unnecessary standardized tests for all other students.
The niece of Marine Le Pen won her first election at the age of 22 and trounced a former prime minister, Alain Juppe, in a televised debate
By Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, Paris
3:49PM GMT 05 Dec 2015
She is the new girl wonder of the French far right, a glamorous 25-year-old poised to break down many mainstream conservatives’ qualms about casting their vote for the Front National.
Since she was elected the youngest MP in French parliamentary history, aged 22 three years ago, while a second year Sorbonne law student, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, niece of Front President Marine and grand-daughter of its obstreperous founder Jean-Marie, has had the fastest learning curve in French politics since Bonaparte’s.
On Sunday, buoyed by the shock of the Nov 13 Islamic shootings in Paris, the list she heads is widely expected to come in first in the Provence-Côte d’Azur region, with polls giving her some 40 per cent of the vote. Even if the third-ranking Socialists drop out of the race to favour her Gaullist opponent in next Sunday’s runoff, Marion, as she’s known, has the most chances to swing into office, giving the Front National a shot at ruling one of France’s most dynamic regions, and the second most populous after Paris.
Her aunt may well lead a Front victory in the North, a depressed region with high unemployment, little prospects for development, and bleak cities like Roubaix and Tourcoing, the French answers to Bradford in terms of a tense ethnic mix. The last authorised polls before Sunday’s vote even gave a lead to the FN in six out of 13 French regions, although this is not expected to translate into many actual victories.
Just the other day, I was driving home from an outing with my dog when I passed a billboard announcing the annual, pre-Christmas sale at a major, local retailer. I remembered thinking, really? How can this be? Weren’t the holidays just here yesterday? Suddenly, the relaxing day I was having turned into anything but that as I began to go through my annual, mile-long, stress-inducing, pre-holidays mental checklist. The pain on my face must have been obvious because as I checked off item number 7 out of 200, I felt the warm, sticky sensation of my dog’s tongue in my right ear. Reaching behind me, I rubbed his big head and asked, “You’ll help me get through the holidays, won’t you?” The thump, thump, thump of his tail on the back seat was all I needed as an answer. My dog had my back.
For most people, the holidays are a bittersweet occasion in that it’s a time of reuniting with loved ones, endless parties, and the exchanging of gifts; however, it’s also one of massive preparation, excessive spending, and worrying about perfection in everything from what to wear, what to give, and what to serve. It’s truly the season of cheer and fear where nothing is overlooked or left to chance . . . except Fido. Yep, the very dog that has your back is left by himself to deal with a myriad of holiday stressors that range from multiple attacks by your relative’s screaming kids to a fat man in a red suit yelling “Ho, Ho, Ho,” which unfortunately translates to “no, no, no” for your dog who rightfully thinks he’s done nothing wrong! For us humans, it’s easy to understand during the holidays why “misery loves company” but not for your dog. Therefore, here are a few tips that will help Fido get through the holiday season without misery as his constant companion.
1. Give training as an early gift. Dogs are social creatures (minus the scary parts of being social during the holidays, such as the fat man in the red suit with the long, white beard). They would much rather spend their time with us than being locked away in the laundry room when company arrives. Learning behaviors, such as “stay” and “be quiet,” upon command before the holidays could earn your dog the good graces of the laundry room parole board and a coveted spot on a fleece bed next to the Christmas tree. Keeping in mind that some of your guests would rather admire your well-trained dog from a distance, you’ll be giving them an early gift as well.
2. Maintain your dog’s normal routines. I’m not sure about you, but my routines during the holidays are anything but normal. However, our dogs are creatures of habit and any changes, even subtle ones in their established routines, can produce stress. The onset of these stressors can then lead to undesirable behaviors such as destructive chewing, restless pacing or whining, or even an escalation in aggression as your dog attempts to cope with its anxiety. In addition, dogs are extremely temporal and can sense your holiday stress; it’s no wonder you will find most dogs hanging around the spiked eggnog bowl! Keeping your dog’s routines right on target during the holidays is impossible for most of us, but do your best to add Fido to your Day Planner. His stress is one less stressor you’ll have to worry about.
3. Traveling with your dog. The holidays are one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, and if it’s off to grandma’s house you go and you’re thinking of taking Fido with you, you may want to plan well in advance. If you will be flying with your dog, check with your airline about its policies and regulations as these vary greatly with each individual carrier. For example, some will fly your dog in a climate-controlled space, and others won’t. Therefore, bad weather could prevent Fido from making the trip. Also, unless Fido is a service dog, he will have to fly in an airline-approved kennel, and the size requirements for your dog’s kennel are not the least bit standard in the airline industry. The best rule of thumb in regard to kennels is go big. I have had dogs rejected because their pointed ears barely touched the top of their kennel while they were standing! If it’s a vehicle you will be traveling in, be sure to treat Fido like any other occupant and restrain him. Time in your lap or your children’s laps can wait until you arrive at your destination. Remember, if Fido isn’t restrained and an accident should occur, Fido will become a projectile. I’m sure the only flying animals you will want to see during the holidays are Santa’s reindeer!
4. Dealing with other dogs. Nearly 90 million American households have at least one dog. If you visit with family or friends during the holidays, your dog is likely to encounter a dog that is not of its pack. Because dogs are dogs and not humans, their perception of the alien dog could be quite different than yours. You may see a nice dog, but your dog may see a threat or an opponent, which could then lead to a fight. Keep a close eye on your dog during the initial meeting, and if either dog appears to be fearful or threatening, immediately separate the dogs and keep them separated until the visit is over. Do this whether your dog is naughty or nice.
5. Dealing with other children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report millions of dog bites each year in the U.S. with most of those occurring to small children. Not recognizing or ignoring the warning signs given by dogs that feel threatened by the direct interaction of small children is one of the leading causes of these bites. During the holidays, children tend to be more excited and animated as they play with new toys or with their relatives or friends. Because Mom and Dad are engaged in food preparation or entertaining, these children are not as closely supervised as they are during other times. Unfortunately, letting little Johnny whack his cousin’s dog with his new Star Wars light saber could end with little Johnny getting a gift he didn’t ask for but really did.
The holidays are a very special time of year, even with the accompanying stressors. However, for Fido, he would rather it not be so special. Treating the holidays like any other time of the year for him will be the best present you can give.
Bryan Bailey is a nationally-recognized, award-winning animal behaviorist, who has shared his expertise with Fox & Friends, SiriusXM, Dog World and more, along with veterinarians, dog owners and celebrities. His first book,Embracing the Wild in Your Dog, is a culmination of his experiences and expertise and, together with his wife, owns ProTrain Memphis and Taming the Wild. Learn more at www.TamingtheWild.com.
Ridgewood NJ, Sources in the central business district continue to voice concerns that the Valet Parking is exacerbating the very parking problem it is attempting to alleviate .While Roots Steakhouse was already offering valet parking 4 additional Ridgewood restaurants have joined forces to offer valet parking to their customers.
The is issue is most acute on Oak Street were Fish Urban Dining, It’s Greek To Me and Roots have virtually monopolized most of the spaces near Ridgewood Avenue ,leaving little room for customers of retailers such as Luck Brands any available spaces to park.
Retailers have for years complained of parking access for their customers , the Ridgewood blog reported earlier this year that as early as 9am spots on Oak Street are full and now most retails report that after 430 ,because of the valet parking they can just go home .
NOVEMBER 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Rev. James Martin, a renowned writer and former businessman, made an appearance at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Nov. 10, speaking about his new novel and other contemporary issues.
With approximately 200 listeners sitting at attention, the Wharton School of Business graduate offered background for his new work, “The Abbey,” before commencing one of the few parts of public speaking with which he has little experience: a book reading.
“We’re going to do a book reading tonight, which I’m new at,” Martin confided to the crowd. “It’s a little bit of a different presentation for me.”
The novel, which was written as a result of a dream that Martin had, explores the lives of various individuals and their experiences regarding a nearby abbey. Though he does not normally keep track of his dreams, Martin admitted that this one resonated with him.
“This particular dream that I had was a fully-formed story … so I forced myself up at 2 a.m. and wrote it down in a journal,” he said. “In the dream, the names of the characters were there, the name of the monastery was there, and the whole story was there.”
Not wanting to waste such an opportunity to share his dream and aware that any work he does raises funds for his Jesuit community, Martin decided to turn his work into a short story, and eventually into a full-fledged novel.
NOVEMBER 20, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Art Institute Annual Holiday Show and Sale features more than 150 pieces of beautiful artwork. This year there is also a Small Works Fundraising Exhibit with 80 pieces priced at $150 with all proceeds to benefit RAI. The opening reception is being held on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m.
It’s a wonderful exhibit to visit and these one-of-a-kind paintings can prove to be a unique holiday gift as well.
“It’s one of the most exciting shows of the year” said RAI instructor Laura Paray. Oils, watercolors, pastel and drawings are on exhibit and painted by members of the Institute. Members were invited to enter two original works to be exhibited in this festive holiday setting.
New England’s beautiful scenery was a favorite for the “Barn” artists with Charles Brandenburg’s watercolor, “Gloucester Fog,” and Edward Galenkamp’s “Inner Harbor – Nantucket.”
file photo by Boyd LOving
November 20,2015
th staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood is pushing three options for the parking garage design . Village manager Roberta Sonenfeld claims in a recent email to Village Residents that ,”We have already confirmed the economics by commissioning an independent consulting firm whose work was studied and endorsed by the Financial Advisory Committee.”
Sonenfeld went on , “The Council selected an architectural/engineering firm to work with us in designing the deck and putting together the construction bid documents. We are currently in the design phase of building the deck, and have held numerous meetings where input from the community has been received and incorporated into the design. We continue to seek input from you regarding the design, particularly as it relates to the size and height. Below you will find three options for you to peruse and comment upon. Each has pros and cons.” https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/hudson/20151119-PDwPV1.pdf
Many residents however see things differently , “Since the vote, there has been no council meeting with an agenda to discuss the parking garage. The discussion should be at a council meeting. Put it on the record and for all the public to hear. As I said below, it appears that things are being done backwards and in private yet again. You say you want public input. You say you want communication. You say you want transparency. You said, “vote yes to parking, and then negotiate the size and design.” I see none of that.”, Lorraine Reynolds
Ellen McNamara said , “I attended the second of 2 informal forums and I was the only person not on a committee, who had had prior opportunity to review the garage plans at length. I did not have an opportunity to speak publicly, ask questions on the record, or be heard by anyone other than Gwen Hauck, Fire Chief Jim VanGoor, the architect (forgetting his name at the moment), and Nancy Johannsen from the financial committee – only in private conversations initiated by me. I did not feel as though my input was “gathered.” In fact, I was lead to believe the design and size of the garage were still being worked out, and many of my questions had been asked and answered already, so not to worry. I have worried every second since casting my vote for the garage referendum.”
The Village Manager has once again assured everyone that on the December 2nd meeting residents will have an opportunity to ask questions
Why did the “design team” (gimme a break) meet with council members individuall Paul???? Trying to avoid a public meeting where all five could hear each other’s opinions and the public could be present? Hmmm, sounds like you tried to avoid the Open Public Meetings guidelines.
The point is, why have each member come in for a private meeting? They should each have been able to hear what the others are thinking, what plans they are favoring, and their reasoning. This stupid system circumnavigates the open public meeting act, and it does not good. Opinions will form before the December 2 meeting, when in fact they all should have started right out looking together in front of the public. That is not Paul’s way. He proclaims openness and transparency, and then holds these secret one-on-one meetings. Kind of like sliding the Health Barn in before telling the residents in the neighborhood. Kind of like letting the RSBA hand-deliver the ballfield grant application. Everything is done wrong under this regime, but it is deliberately done wrong in order for them to control the agenda. The three of them and Roberta stink.
Anyone pointing fingers at past Councils about conflicts of interest is clearly trying to divert attention away from the several conflicts with the current Council. Mr. Killion is long gone folks. We have several critical issues before this Council and the 3 majority members all seem to have cozy relationships with the parties that have a lot to gain from their “YES” vote. Money has already changed hands from Mr. Saraceno to our Council majority in the form of $1,000 fundraiser tickets for them and their dates. Mr. Pucciarelli and Mrs. Hauck have clear conflicts on the Valley Hospital lawsuit.
Apologists for the Council majority cry “old news” when these conflicts come up yet they point fingers at past Councils as a convenient way to deflect any blame that comes their way.
By Steve Almasy, Pierre Meilhan and Jim Bittermann, CNN
Updated 1:18 AM ET, Sat November 14, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
Paris (CNN)On a night when thousands of Paris residents and tourists were reveling and fans were enjoying a soccer match between France and world champion Germany, horror struck in an unprecedented manner. Terrorists — some with AK-47s, some reportedly with bombs strapped to them — attacked sites throughout the French capital and at the stadium where the soccer match was underway.
Scores were killed in the coordinated attacks late Friday, leaving a nation in mourning and the world in shock. CNN will update this story as information comes in:
[Latest developments, posted at 11:59 p.m. ET]
• Paris Prosecutor spokeswoman Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre said eight extremists are dead after attacks. Seven of them were killed in suicide bombings.
• U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with French President Francois Hollande to offer condolences and assistance in the investigation, the White House said. Earlier, Obama said, “This is an attack not just on Paris, not just on the people on France, but an attack on all humanity and the universal values we share.” He called the attacks an “outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians.”
• A total of six locations were attacked in and just outside the capital, Paris prosecutor François Molins told reporters Saturday.
By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD) • 11/11/15 5:25 PM
Hard news faces the same kind of extinction as newspapers and magazines, the result of a dramatic death spiral of reporting jobs and ads and the rise of the type of opinion journalism popular two and three centuries ago, according to a new report and analysis.
“Hard news is in danger,” said a new report from the Brookings Institution.
The report detailed a fall-off in advertising revenues and employment and raised the question that without editorial employees filtering the news, credibility will be undermined.
“These trends have left many people wondering who will collect hard news for the general public. While the Internet world has made it possible for everyone to express their opinion widely — whether they know anything or not — it has also confused readers. In the absence of supposedly neutral intermediaries such as reporters, fact-checkers, and editors, readers are having a hard time judging the credibility of what they read,” said the report.
OCTOBER 26, 2015, 10:56 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015, 5:53 AM
BY MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Mary Greff was a new mother who had plans to pursue a career in psychiatry and possibly work one day with criminals. She had a zest for life and was the light of her parents’ eyes, her mother recalled Monday.
But her parents, Carol Ann and Leon Greff, found her dead in their house in Waldwick, allegedly a victim of domestic violence by her estranged boyfriend.
“We found her dead in her bedroom, two days after she turned 23,” Carol Ann Greff recalled on Monday, the first time she has spoken publicly about the slaying of her only child two years ago, at a candlelight vigil for domestic violence victims. “It was astounding, I never would think that someone would do this. … It’s so terrible to find your own baby in her bed.”
Last week the couple was reminded about the pervasiveness and tragedy of domestic violence when they read about 48-year-old Suzanne Bardzell, who died in her car outside her Midland Park home after being stabbed, allegedly by her estranged boyfriend.
“It’s really horrible, that it happened in these two neighborhoods,” said Leon Greff, who noted that the man accused of his daughter’s death is also from Midland Park. “You wouldn’t think that it could happen again.”
