[00:00:02]
WELL, THEY, THEY WON'T, BUT I'LL TELL.ALTHOUGH TRY TO MAKE YOU HONORARY WHILE, YOU KNOW YOU DIDN'T GET THE MEMO RULES.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA, BUT WE'LL SEE.
I BRING, ARE YOU GUYS GONNA GO? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO SATURDAY.
[00:05:20]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.WE'RE GONNA START IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES.
THIS WILL BE A GOOD TIME TO SHUT OFF YOUR PHONES.
HE GETS ME ALL THE TIME, LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MOUTH OPEN.
LIKE, HE ALWAYS GETS ME THE FUNNY SPOTS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE HE GETS THAT PICTURE IN.
NOW, USE THAT AS YOUR FILE PHOTO FOR LATER.
WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED IN JUST A MINUTE.
WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, AS ALWAYS, BOBBY AND I, YOU KNOW, WE, AND YOU KNOW, THANKS TO OUR STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO RUN THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT LIGHT, SO, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO BE A LITTLE OFF THE CUFF, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SOUND GOOD? WE DO IT IN SPANISH, BUT THERE'S SOME, UH, GRINGOS HERE AND, UH, IT'S OKAY.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME.
ALRIGHT, WELL GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE HERE, ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL HONOREES, ALL THOSE WHO'VE ASSEMBLED, WE'VE GOT A JAM PACKED HOUSE TODAY, AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING VIA THE LIVESTREAM.
GOOD EVENING,
I'M ACTUALLY ONLY THE FIRST LATINO PRESIDENT TO DO SO.
AND, UH, WHILE I'M EXCITED TO BE THE FIRST LATINO, I CERTAINLY WON'T BE THE LAST.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE SOME GOOD GROUND HERE.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD, I WANNA WELCOME YOU TO THE 2026 HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION.
IT HAS BEEN A TRADITION FOR US HERE AT THE BOARD TO PAY HOMAGE AND TO RECOGNIZE THE MANY CULTURES AND ETHNICITIES THROUGHOUT ESSEX COUNTY.
AND TO CELEBRATE OUR COUNTY'S GREATEST STRENGTH, WHICH IS OF COURSE, THE DIVERSITY OF OUR PEOPLE.
WE CELEBRATE HISPANIC AMERICANS AND HISPANIC CULTURE.
OUR HONOREES ARE JUST A MERE REFLECTION OF THE MANY OUTSTANDING MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY, UH, WHO ARE FROM HISPANIC OR LATINO DESCENT.
SO TODAY THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE PLEASURE OF CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIVE OUTSTANDING HONOREES.
THAT IS MADELINE GUTHRIE OF MONTCLAIR.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE MONTCLAIR STRONG TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT APPLAUSE METER TODAY TO SEE WHO DOESN'T.
THE YOUNG WOMEN FOUNDATION, JAMIL HERNANDEZ OF NUTLEY, AND ANTONIO LEDA OF NEWARK.
SO WE'RE OF COURSE, VERY PROUD OF EACH OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND DURING THE PROGRAM, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT IT.
BUT I CERTAINLY WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE PROGRAMS BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEM, THE PROGRAMS WILL JUST JAM PACKED WITH SO MANY MORE PEOPLE, UH, SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE THESE FINE, UH, PEOPLE THAT WE WANT YOU TO REALLY CATCH THE FULL BREADTH OF THEIR IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, I'M ONLY GONNA COME UP HERE ONE MORE TIME, VERY BRIEFLY AT THE END WITH BOBBY.
UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UH, A COUPLE OF QUICK REMARKS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S POIGNANT TO DO SO AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
UM, ON NOVEMBER 3RD, MY FAMILY WILL CELEBRATE ITS 56TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ITS IMMIGRATION FROM CUBA.
UH, MY MOTHER CAME PREGNANT WITH ME AT SIX MONTHS AND SHE CAME WITH MY SISTERS, MY BIG SISTERS WHO WERE SIX AND SEVEN.
AND SHE ALSO CAME WITH HER MOTHER, WHO WAS IN HER SIXTIES, HER SISTER AND HER NEPHEW, WHO WAS ABOUT 10.
MY DAD, REGRETTABLY, ALTHOUGH HE HAD BEEN A SUCCESSFUL SURGEON IN UBA, WAS TAKEN AS A POLITICAL PRISONER.
AND, UH, I NEVER GOT TO MEET MY DAD BECAUSE I WAS BORN HERE THREE MONTHS AFTER WE ARRIVED HIM ON GROUNDHOG'S DAY OF ALL THINGS, UH, JUST THREE MONTHS LATER.
AND SO I GREW UP, UH, IN ONE WAY, I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN MY FAMILY BORN WITHIN A, YOU KNOW, 20 YEAR SPAN ALMOST BECAUSE MY SISTERS ARE BORN IN THE EARLY SIXTIES, AND MY COUSINS KIDS ARE BORN IN THE EIGHTIES.
AND I'M THE ONLY SEVENTIES BABY.
GENERATION X HERE GAVE ME GREAT PERSPECTIVE ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN AMERICAN BECAUSE I CAN REALLY RELATE TO THE HARDSHIPS THAT WE
[00:10:01]
HAD TO ENDURE BEING HERE.I REMEMBER AS A LITTLE BOY, MY MOM TAKING ENGLISH CLASSES AT NIGHTTIME AND TRYING TO RESURRECT OUR NURSING CAREER WHILE STILL CLEANING HOUSES AND OFFICES AND WEEKENDS.
'CAUSE SHE, I WOULD ALWAYS TAG ALONG 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SHE HAD THREE KIDS AND WE HAD TO WATCH THEM, RIGHT?
AND SO I REMEMBER THAT PERSPECTIVE AND I REMEMBER THAT, UM, MY MOM ALWAYS TOLD ME, YOU COULD DO ANYTHING YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOU JUST GET AN EDUCATION OR TRAINING OR SOME SKILL SET.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT.
WHICH WAS A BIG RELIEF BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BE A DOCTOR LIKE MY DAD OR A NURSE LIKE MY MOM.
'CAUSE I COULDN'T STAND THE SIDE OF BLOOD.
SO THAT WAS A BIG RELIEF TO ME.
MY SISTERS, UH, WERE LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT LEVEL MATRIARCHS, AND THEY ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF THEIR LITTLE BROTHER.
TO THIS DAY, I'M 55, THEY STILL CALL ME CARLITO, ARE YOU OKAY? YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, THEY ALWAYS LOOK AFTER ME.
AND THEY'VE TAKEN THAT SAME APPROACH WITH MY CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR NEPHEW AND NIECES, AND THEY'VE DONE IT, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
SO WHEN WE COME HERE TODAY, AND YOU KNOW, BOBBY, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, EIGHT YEARS NOW, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, UH, I ALWAYS AM REMINDED THAT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT I'VE HAD IN MY OWN LIFE, MY FAMILY'S LIFE, BY EXTENDING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ALL OF YOU, UH, WE'RE GONNA SHARE AND CELEBRATE TODAY, ARE THE RESULTS OF THOSE GIANTS WHO CAME BEFORE US.
AND I THINK WE COULD ALL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN AGREE ON A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU ONE THING, WE AGREE THAT WE ARE THE PRODUCT OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE US.
WHETHER THEY WERE PARENTS, UNCLES, UH, UNCLES, YOU KNOW, LA LA YOUR COUSIN, MY COUSINS, LIKE MY BROTHER, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO, UH, AS MUCH AS WE WANNA CELEBRATE THOSE FOLKS TODAY, UH, I ASK YOURSELF TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO HELPED YOU GET HERE TODAY, WHATEVER THAT PATH WAS.
UH, BECAUSE THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SELF-MADE PERSON.
WE ARE THE PRODUCT OF ALL OF THE, THE LOVE AND SUPPORT AND REGRETTABLY, SOMETIMES THE ADVERSITY THAT WE FACE THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MESSAGE IS STRONG AND CLEAR MORE THAN EVER NOW WHERE, UH, IT WOULD APPEAR IF YOU LOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT I KNOW THAT'S, I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE, AND I KNOW PASTOR'S GONNA TELL US OTHERWISE.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S PLENTY OF LOVE AND IT'S NIGHTS LIKE THIS THAT ALWAYS REMIND ME THAT WE ARE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE.
AND I AM CERTAINLY OPTIMISTIC FOR THE WORLD AHEAD OF US.
THE WORLD THAT WE'RE CREATING FOR OUR CHILDREN, UH, AS, AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A PUPPY OF THREE, TWO OF THEM IN COLLEGE NOW, ONE IN HIGH SCHOOL, WAY SMARTER THAN I EVER WAS AT THAT AGE, THANKFULLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT, BUT NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES AND NOT WITH US, YOU KNOW, STANDING UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANNA IMPART YOU TODAY.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, HE HELPS KEEP US ON TRACK.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
SINCE I DON'T REALLY HAVE CLOSING REMARKS TODAY, I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WOULD SHARE THAT IT'S A SIMILAR MESSAGE TO WHAT I'VE SAID IN THE PAST.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING PROGRAM HERE TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO CELEBRATE THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF EVERYONE THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING.
WE HAVE, UH, ALSO BOARD COMMENDATIONS, NOT FROM JUST US, BUT ALSO CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMEN, LAMONICA, MACGYVER, AND ELIA MAHI SENATORS TERESA RUIZ AND BRITTANY TIMBER.
AND AS WELL AS WE ALSO HAVE COMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF NEWARK.
SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL THAT EVERYONE JOINED US TODAY IN THAT CELEBRATION.
LET US CONTINUE TO DREAM BIG AND TO WORK VERY HARD AND TO EXPECT MORE.
SO NOW I WANT, UH, TO, UH, MOVE ON WITH THE HIGHLIGHTS.
SOMEONE WITH A LOT MORE TALENT THAN I WANNA BE INTRODUCED.
THIS YOUNG LADY, A LITTLE, UH, YOUNG SINGER, UH, WHO WILL SING THE NATIONAL, NATIONAL ANTHEM IS ZOE ALEXA ARBI, COME HERE, COME ON UP, PLEASE STAND.
OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE WHAT SURPRISE AT THE TWILIGHTS LAST HO, BUT STRIPES AND RIGHT, THE,
[00:15:08]
THE, THE NIGHT THAT FLAG.SAY THE, AND THE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ZOE FOR THAT WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE.
I AM COMMISSIONER BOBBY MERCADO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US HERE TONIGHT.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE A VERY GOOD DEAR FRIEND, EL MANO.
UM, REVEREND LESLIE RAMOS, WHO WILL RENDER OUR OPENING PRAYER AS HE JOINS ME HERE AT THE PODIUM.
LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASTOR RAMOS.
REVEREND RAMOS HAS SERVED AS LA MOOSA CHURCH SENIOR PASTOR SINCE 2003.
HE HAS SERVED AS ASSOCIATE PASTOR.
HE IS KNOWN FOR HIS STRONG PREACHING COMMUNITY, OUTREACH, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND PASTORAL COUNSELING.
HE COMPLETED HIS THEOLOGICAL TRAINING FROM NOREASTERN THEOLOGICAL BIBLE INSTITUTE OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD IN 2002.
HE'S BEEN HAPPILY MARRIED FOR 28 YEARS TO HIS WIFE AND FIRST LADY YESENIA RAMOS RODRIGUEZ, AND HAS THREE WONDERFUL CHILDREN, CHRISTIAN, JOSHUA AND JOSEPH.
PLEASE WELCOME PASTOR LESLIE RAMOS.
AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS WONDERFUL OCCASION AND CELEBRATION, CELEBRATION OF LIFE, CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
BUT I'M GONNA ASK MY ASSOCIATE PASTOR TO COME UP AND HE'S GONNA TRANSLATE FOR ME IN, IN SPANISH, 'CAUSE I SPEAK TWO LANGUAGES, UH, COMMISSIONER I, ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND MY ENGLISH IS BAD, AND MY SPANISH IS WORSE,
SO HE'S GONNA TRANSLATE IN SPANISH FOR ME.
UM, IF YOU WERE TO BE SO KIND AT THIS TIME, TO BOW YOUR HEADS AND CLOSE YOUR EYES, AND LET US PRAY.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, RECOGNIZING THAT EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY GOOD ACCOMPLISHMENT ULTIMATELY COMES FROM YOU.
WE THANK YOU FOR ESS COUNTY, FOR ITS DIVERSITY, ITS STRENGTH, AND FOR THE GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR TIME, THEIR TALENTS, THEIR SACRIFICES, AND THEIR HEARTS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES BETTER.
TONIGHT, AS WE CELEBRATE SPANISH HERITAGE MONTH, WE GIVE THANK THANKS FOR THE RICH CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, THE FAMILIES WHO CAME HERE WITH DREAMS, THE PARENTS WHO SACRIFICED SO THEIR CHILDREN COULD HAVE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES.
THE LEADERS WHO OPENED DOORS, THE WORKERS WHO STRENGTHENED OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH DISTINCTION.
LORD, WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON EVERY HONOREE PERSON BEING RECOGNIZED HERE TONIGHT.
[00:20:01]
THIS CELEBRATION REMIND US THAT WHEN PEOPLE SERVE WITH LOVE, WHEN THEY SERVE WITH INTEGRITY, AND THEY SERVE WITH PURPOSE, THEIR IMPACT REACHES FAR BEYOND THEMSELVES.WE PRAY FOR ESSAS COUNTY, FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, OUR FAMILIES, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES.
GIVE THEM WISDOM, GIVE THEM COURAGE, GIVE THEM COMPASSION, AND FILL THEM WITH YOUR STRENGTH.
AND FATHER, BLESS THE GATHERING TONIGHT.
LET THERE BE UNITY WHERE THERE WAS DIVISION HOPE, WHERE THERE WAS DISCOURAGEMENT AND A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY.
TOGETHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE PAST.
WE CELEBRATE THE PRESENT, AND WE PLACE OUR FUTURE IN YOUR HANDS.
AND WE PRAY THIS IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, IN THE NAME OF THE SON, IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
LET ME MENTION A FEW WORDS HE'S LOOKING AT, HE'S LOOKING AT THE TIME.
IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME A FEW WORDS.
IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO STAND HERE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
FIRST, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERY ONE OF TONIGHT'S HONOREES.
GIVE THEM A STRONG HAND PRAISE.
YOUR RECOGNITION IS WELL DESERVED.
YOU REPRESENT SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER THAN YOUR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR SACRIFICE AND YOUR PERSEVERANCE, AND THE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS COMING FROM AND TO OUR LATINO COMMUNITIES HERE IN SES COUNTY.
AND, AND TONIGHT, I WILL BE REMISS IF I DON'T SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT SOMEONE SPECIAL TO ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER ROBERT, BOBBY, RICARDO.
GIVE HIM A STRONG, UH, WE'RE LIFELONG FRIENDS.
WE GREW UP TOGETHER AND MOST OF THAT TIME WAS ON A BASEBALL FIELD.
AND, AND, AND WE GREW UP PLAYING IT TOGETHER.
BOBBY IS NOT SIMPLY A COMMISSIONER TO ME, BOBBY, LIKE I STATED, HE'S A LIFELONG FRIEND.
AND WHEN YOU'VE KNOWN SOMEONE FOR SO MANY YEARS, YOU DON'T JUST SEE THE TITLE.
YOU JUST DON'T SEE THE POSITION.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WATCHING BOBBY SERVE ROBERTO, UH, WATCHING BOBBY LEAD, WATCHING HIM ADVOCATE AND STAND FOR HIS COMMUNITY.
AND NOW AS HE SERVES ITS FINAL TERM AS COMMISSIONER, I KNOW THERE'S OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ALSO EXITING GRACEFULLY.
KTO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL,
I BELIEVE TONIGHT'S AN APPROPRIATE MOMENT TO SAY PUBLICLY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR THE DOORS THAT YOU HAVE HELPED OPEN FOR OTHERS.
AND THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING THAT OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR PEOPLE, PUEBLO, DESERVE TO BE SEEN, DESERVE TO BE HEARD, AND DESERVE TO BE REPRESENTED.
AND YOU'VE REPRESENTED US WELL, THANK
[00:25:05]
I SAY MARCH LATER,NOW I INTRODUCE THE COMMISSIONER, A DORIAN, MARY THOMAS.
UM, UH, I HAVE THE DISTINCT PLEASURE OF, UM, OH, LEMME SAY HELLO.
MY NAME'S ADORE MURRAY THOMAS.
I SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GIVING GOD ALL THE PRAISE.
AND RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE DISTINCT ROLE OF INTRODUCING OUR DIGNITARIES.
BUT AS THE PASTORS SO ELOQUENTLY INVITED US IN THIS MOMENT ON THE TOPIC OF BOBBY, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SMALL GLIMPSE INTO HOW GRACIOUS AND HUMBLE THIS MAN IS, WHO HAPPENS TO BE A NEWARK BROTHER? ANY NEWARK IS IN THE HOUSE.
SO Y'ALL ALREADY KNOW HOW WE DO RICK CITY, BUT YOU KNOW, HE'S LOOKING THROUGH THE PROGRAM TODAY.
HE'S LIKE, LISTEN, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF ME TALKING.
HE'S LIKE A DORIAN, HOW ABOUT YOU INTRODUCE THE DIGNITARIES? RIGHT? AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT MAY SEEM SMALL TO SOME, BUT MY MOM USED TO ALWAYS SAY GROWING UP THAT A DORIAN, EVERYONE DESERVES THEIR LIGHT IN THE SUN TO SHINE.
AND THERE'S ENOUGH LIGHT FOR ALL OF US.
THIS BROTHER SAID, HOLD ON, THERE SHOULD BE, LET ME JUST THROW YOU IN THERE TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE I'VE GOT ENOUGH SPACE TO BE SEEN.
LET ME MAKE SURE I SHARE MY LIGHT AND SPACE WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
SO THAT'S JUST A VERY SMALL INDICATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE, BE A MAN LIKE YOU IN LEADERSHIP, ROBBIE.
SO I'LL BE COMING BACK UP IN A FEW MORE MOMENTS LATER TO INTRODUCE MY DISTINGUISHED HONOREES.
BUT I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE DIGNITARIES WHO ARE WITH US TODAY.
SAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SUPERSTAR.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SUPERSTAR.
OH, Y'ALL DIDN'T SAY THAT WITH NO HEART.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SUPERSTAR AT YOU'RE THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THE TRUTH IS EVERY, HOW DO I SAY THAT IN SPANISH? HOW DO I SAY LOOK AT, HOW DO I SAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE? THERE WE GO.
BUT WE GOT SOME OTHER SUPERSTARS THAT I WANNA RECOGNIZE TONIGHT TOO, AMONG US.
BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A FEW OF THEM.
IF YOU'RE HERE, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND SO WE CAN GIVE YOU A DISTINGUISHED, UH, RECOGNITION.
SO WE HAVE THE MAYOR OF MONTCLAIR, DR.
RENEE BASKERVILLE, WHO IS WITH US TODAY, A SUPER ISAIAH.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER NEWARK BROTHER, MY BROTHER JUAN RIVERA, THE COUNTY REGISTER OF THE GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX.
WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE PUERTO RICANS, A PARADE OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
MISS GELLE BON, WHO IS WITH US.
WE HAVE OUR VERONA COUNCILWOMAN, MS. CHRISTINE MCGRATH, WHO WAS WITH US WAVE.
WE HAVE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WEST ORANGE DEMOCRATS.
HE MAY HAVE STEPPED OUT, BUT HE WAS HERE EARLIER.
AND WE HAVE OUR COUNCILWOMAN OF BLOOMFIELD, MONICA, CHAD, ABBA, WHO IS WITH US TODAY.
SO WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING OUR TODAY, US TODAY.
AND WE HAVE MANY WHO ARE ON OF COURSE, OUR PROGRAM THIS EVENING.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING EVERYONE.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET ME INTRODUCE MY BROTHER IN THIS WORK, BRENDAN GILL, TO PROCEED WITH THE PROGRAM COMMISSIONER.
GOTTA TAKE IT WHEN YOU CAN, ESPECIALLY IN THIS BUSINESS.
UM, NOW IT, FIRST OF ALL, UM, UH, LET'S GIVE IT UP, UM, FOR COMMISSIONER MURRAY.
THOMAS AGAIN, YOU JUST, UM, AND WE, AND WE AND ALSO THE REST OF OUR BOARD, UM, OF COURSE WHO HAS JOINED US, UH, TONIGHT.
UM, OF COURSE YOU HEARD FROM OUR PRESIDENT, UH, COMMISSIONER PALMS. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO, TO SERVE AND ONE OF THE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER PALMS HAS DONE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP.
AS, AS HE MENTIONED, HE'S THE FIRST, UH, LATINO PRESIDENT OF THE ESS COUNTY BOARD OF, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
[00:30:01]
CUBAN AMERICAN TO SERVE ON THE ESS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FREEHOLDERS.UH, BUT ALSO, UM, HAS KEPT THIS TRADITION GOING.
AND IN THIS DAY AND TIME, UM, WE CAN'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY, THAT EVEN DOING AN EVENT LIKE THIS WHERE WE RECOGNIZE THE MANY HERITAGES AND CULTURES THAT MAKE UP THE GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX ARE TO BE CELEBRATED AND HIGHLIGHTED AND RESPECTED.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY A SAD COMMENTARY TO SAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND CONTINUING TO KEEP THIS TRADITION ALIVE.
ALSO JOINING US, COMMISSIONER COOPER, COMMISSIONER COOPER IS HERE TONIGHT, UH, ALSO WITH US TONIGHT, COMMISSIONER LUCIANO.
COMMISSIONER LUCIANO, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE, WE, YOU'VE HEARD FROM HIM, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM HIM SOME MORE ABOUT COMM.
LET'S GIVE COMMISSIONER MERCADO ANOTHER.
WE'RE THE SUFFERING MET FANS ON THE, UM,
I KNOW REV, YOU MET, YOU MENTIONED BASEBALL.
WE'RE WE'RE SUFFERING MED FANS, UM, RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, SO IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S AN HONOR, UM, TO BE HERE TONIGHT, UH, WITH EVERYONE.
UH, BUT, UM, BEFORE, UM, I BRING UP OUR FIRST, UH, HONOREE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I'D BE REMISS.
I DO WANNA GIVE A SECOND SHOUT OUT TO THE MAYOR OF MONTCLAIR, WHO'S HERE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, JOINING US.
AND I'LL JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT WAS JUST SAID DURING, UH, THE OPENING PRAYER REALLY, UH, RESONATED, UH, WITH ME, BE HEARD, BE SEEN, UH, GOOD REPRESENTATION.
BUT I THINK THE OTHER THING TO ME IS ALSO, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPECTED, THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE RESPECTED.
UH, MY, UM, I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY, UM, IN MY PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR 15 YEARS.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN POLITICS OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I WAS PART OF HELPING TO ELECT, UM, THE FIRST COLOMBIAN AMERICAN TO EVER SERVE IN THE NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE.
THE FIRST, UM, THE FIRST, UM, THE FIRST DOMINICAN AMERICAN TO EVER SERVE IN THE NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY, TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, HAD THE FIRST, UH, LATINA TO SERVE, UH, AS THE MAJORITY LEADER OF OUR STATE SENATE.
THESE ARE NOT SMALL THINGS, THESE ARE NOT SMALL THINGS.
UM, MY CHILDREN, UM, ARE HALF COLOMBIAN.
UH, MY, MY SON AND MY DAUGHTER, UM, THEY'RE MORE COLOMBIAN THAN, YOU KNOW, I'M IRISH, BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS IN THERE.
THEY'RE MORE COLOMBIAN THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
BUT I WILL, UM, I'VE TOLD THIS STORY A LOT, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN RECENTLY.
IT PROBABLY HAPPENED OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
BUT JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A SENSE OF, UM, WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE, IN MY OPINION, THESE TRADITIONS.
UM, MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S NOW A, UH, RISING FRESHMAN, UH, IN HIGH SCHOOL, JUST STARTED TO SCHOOL A FEW DAYS AGO, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MAYBE TWO, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, WAS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND MIXED IT UP, UH, WITH SOMEONE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A, NOT IN A BULLYING WAY, BUT IN A, IN A WAY WHERE TWO KIDS GOT INTO IT.
UM, AND THE, UH, THE YOUNG MAN LOOKED AT MY DAUGHTER.
SHE, SHE TOLD THE STORY WHEN SHE CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL, BUT IT JUST, IT JUST NEVER LEFT ME.
SHE, SHE CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL THAT DAY.
SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT UPSET AND I ASKED HER WHAT WAS THE MATTER? AND SHE RELAYED THE STORY AND SHE WAS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND THE BOY WAS SAYING SOME THINGS TO HER THAT WERE NOT SO NICE.
AND THEY WENT BACK AND FORTH AND THE YOUNG MAN LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, KRISTEN, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
YOU'RE GONNA BE DEPORTED ANYWAY.
AND WE WON'T BLAME THE CHILD, RIGHT, FOR THAT LEVEL OF RHETORIC.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
AND EVEN TO A THEN MAYBE 12-YEAR-OLD, HOW DEEPLY THAT IT CUT
SO I DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.
UH, WHEN I CAN BE BEFORE YOU AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL AND ELECTED OFFICIAL TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY HERE TO CELEBRATE, UM, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WE'RE ALSO HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES WE WE SERVE ARE SEEN, THEY'RE HEARD, THEY'RE REPRESENTED, BUT THEY'RE RESPECTED.
SO TO ME, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND THE NEXT PERSON I'M ABOUT TO BRING UP, I THINK IS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY LOCALLY, IN MONTCLAIR, MANY OF YOU KNOW, I HAIL FROM MONTCLAIR, BORN AND RAISED AND, AND HAVE A SPECIAL PART FOR MY HOMETOWN.
AND I'M HONORED AND WOULD LIKE TO
[00:35:01]
E UH, WEL WOULD LIKE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AS WE WELCOME MADELINE GUTHRIE TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.MONTCLAIR'S IN THE BUILDING TONIGHT.
SO, UM, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO SHARE, UM, A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM MADELINE'S COMMENDATION.
MADELINE ROSARIO GUTHRIE WAS BORN IN AUGUST OF NINETEEN SEVENTY, SEVENTY FIVE, WE, 19, SORRY, 1975, AND RAISED IN JERSEY CITY BY HER PUERTO RICAN PARENTS.
HER ROOTS ARE FROM PUERTO RICO, HER FROM
MADELINE LEARN THAT FAMILY MATTERS AND THAT HELPING OTHERS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING TO DO THAT IS CONVENIENT.
IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY AND A AND A WAY OF LIFE.
IN 1996, MADELINE MADE MONTCLAIR HER HOME FOR, FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES.
SHE HAS GIVEN HER HER HEART AND SOUL TO HER COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
MADELINE WAS MADELINE ALONGSIDE HER HUSBAND, GARTH, WHO WAS HERE, WHO WAS HERE.
GIVE GARTH A ROCK, GIVE GARTH A ROCK.
A RETIRED MONTCLAIR POLICE OFFICER, UM, HAS DEDICATED HERSELF TO HELPING OTHERS AS THE FOUNDER OF REACH OUT MONTCLAIR, SHE HAS HELPED FAMILIES WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, FURNITURE, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND SO MUCH MORE.
MADELINE AND GARTH RAISED THREE CHILDREN, GARTH, JR.
AND THOSE ARE THE SAME VALUES THAT CONTINUE THROUGH THEIR FAMILY.
IS A MONTCLAIR POLICE OFFICER AND CONTINUES TO GIVE BACK.
WORKING WITH YOUNG MEN AND OUR BROTHER TO BROTHER PROGRAM, HER GRANDSON, MILES IS THE CENTER OF HER UNIVERSE.
AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING MADELINE DOES IS HER LOVE FOR HER FAMILY AND HER COMMUNITY.
THE IMPACT, MADELINE, THAT YOU HAVE HAD ON THE MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY IS INDESCRIBABLE.
AND WE ARE PROUD THAT YOU CALL ESSEX COUNTY HOME.
IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO GIVE YOU A BOARD PLAQUE AND CCOMMODATION RECOGNIZING ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, OF COURSE, INCLUDING, UH, COMMENDATIONS FROM OUR TWO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, STATE, SENATOR RUIZ AND TIMBERLAKE, AND MANY OTHERS.
COUNT ME AMONG YOUR MANY, MANY FANS.
UM, I KNOW OUR FAMILY HAS HAD A LONG
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I'M GRATEFUL TO GOD, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
UM, HE'S THE ONE WHO SUSTAINED ME.
UM, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS MAYOR, BASKETBALL, SHE'S NOT MY MAYOR, SHE'S MY FAMILY ALSO, AND MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND FOR SUPPORTING EVERYTHING THAT I DO, EVEN THOUGH WE ARGUE TONS OF TIMES.
BUT HE STILL SUPPORT WHAT I DO.
I COULDN'T ASKED FOR A BETTER FAMILY.
MARCIA, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU AT.
I JUST WANNA SAY THIS FOR ME IS AN HONOR.
I'M GONNA TRY TO SAY THIS WITHOUT GETTING EMOTIONAL.
MY FATHER DIED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AND MY FATHER INSTILLED SO MANY GREAT THINGS IN MY LIFE, AND HE ALWAYS SAID TO ME, PLEASE GET TO KNOW YOUR CULTURE.
HE USED TO SEND ME TO PUERTO RICO EVERY SUMMER SO I CAN LEARN BON BE PLANA, HOW TO COOK.
AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR THIS BECAUSE HE ALLOWED ME TO BE WHO I'M TODAY.
LET'S GIVE MS. MADELINE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[00:40:01]
FAMILY IS IMPORTANT.SEE, KYLE, YOU DONE STARTED SOMETHING.
SO BEFORE I BRING UP OUR SECOND HONOREE OF THE NIGHT, LET ME RECOGNIZE PLEASE, NEWARK COUNCILWOMAN LOUISE ROUNDTREE IS IN THE HOUSE WHERE SHE GIVE US A WAVE.
SO REVEREND, WHAT YOU SAID TONIGHT HAS RESONATED WITH SO MANY OF US, AND IT ECHOES ALL OF THE HONOREES THAT WE HAVE HERE TONIGHT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE HONOREES, AND AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA CALL UP MISS MARYAM TORRES.
PLEASE COME UP WHILE WE BRAG ABOUT YOU AND WHILE WE'RE HONORING YOU.
SO, MS. TORRES IS A REMARKABLE INDIVIDUAL.
IF YOU KNOW HER, YOU KNOW THAT SHE BLEEDS COMMUNITY.
SHE IS MAMA TORRES WHO DON'T PLAY.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO ONE OF HER EVENTS, PLEASE SIGN UP WITH HER FACEBOOK AND HER INSTAGRAM BECAUSE SHE KNOWS HOW TO CELEBRATE THE LATINO CULTURE, EVERY COMMUNITY.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME GOOD FOOD WHILE YOU DID CELEBRATING, I PROMISE YOU.
SO, MS. TORRES SERVES HER COMMUNITY WITH DISTINCTION AND PLEASURE AT THE YOUNG AGE, SHE CARED FOR NINE OF HER SIBLINGS IN ECUADOR BEFORE SHE MOVED TO EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.
AS A CHILD, SHE TOOK CARE OF NINE SIBLINGS.
SO YOU KNEW THAT MEANT THAT SHE HAD IT IN HER AND SHE WAS DETERMINED.
EVENTUALLY SHE STARTED HAVING CHILDREN ON HER OWN.
AND SHE RAISED FIVE CHILDREN AS A SINGLE PARENT.
AND THAT'S HARD IMMIGRATING HERE, LEARNING THE LANGUAGE, RAISING YOUR KIDS.
AND THEN SHE PUT HERSELF THROUGH COLLEGE, THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY, THE FIRST TO GO TO COLLEGE AND EARN A DEGREE, THE LANGUAGE, WHILE RAISING FIVE CHILDREN.
AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, SHE DECIDED TO BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER WHERE SHE SERVES EAST ORANGE AND NEWARK AND MANY COMMUNITIES HERE IN ESS COUNTY.
HER HEART IS WITH THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION AS WELL AS THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY HOW ME AND MS. TORRES MEANT.
SHE WAS SERVING PEOPLE IN NEED AND OUR PATHS JUST CROSSED.
AND WHENEVER SHE CALLED YOU TO COME AND HELP YOU AIN'T TELLING HER NO, YOU GONNA SHOW UP, SHOW OUT, BECAUSE SHE GONNA SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT SO THAT SHE CAN HELP HER TARGET POPULATION.
SHE HAS COUNSELED AND MENTORED THOUSANDS OF YOUTH AND, UM, YOUNG CHILDREN IN NEED.
AND SHE ALSO, AS IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH, SHE VOLUNTEERS ALSO TO WORK WITH THE SENIOR POPULATION.
SHE HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR LA CASA D PEDRO.
SO SENIORS AND ADULTS WITH, UM, LA CAA DOWN PEDRO, SHE OFTEN HELPS THEM.
SHE ALSO IS AN HONORARY AND BECAME THE FIRST LATINA HONORARY FIRE COMMISSIONER IN EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.
SHE SPENDS HER TIME JUST PURSUING DIFFERENT INITIATIVES TO, UM, EXPAND THE LATINO CULTURE.
AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, SHE STARTED A NONPROFIT CORPORATION PROGRESS FOR PAN AMERICA, HISPANICS FOR PROGRESS.
AND THEN SHE ALSO CHAIRS THE PAN AMERICAN FLAG RACING IN EAST ORANGE THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO AGAIN, LIKE HER FACEBOOK PAGE, GO TO HER TWITTER PAGE.
IT IS A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION TO COME OUT TO IN EAST ORANGE IF YOU HAVEN'T COME.
SHE IS KNOWN FOR US IN EAST ORANGE.
YOU COULD TELL SHE'S FROM EO, RIGHT?
SO FOR US, SHE'S KNOWN AS THE ANGEL IN OUR CITY BECAUSE SHE NEVER SAYS NO.
NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY YOU CALL HER, THERE'S A HOMELESS PERSON, AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY IN NEED.
SHE ALSO SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HISPANIC HISPANICS FOR PROGRESS, UM, CORPORATION.
HER SELFLESS NATURE, HER PASSION FOR HER COMMUNITY, YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR EVERYBODY, NEVER SAYING NO IS WHY WE ARE HONORING YOU TODAY.
MS. TORRES, YOU ALSO HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS FROM SENATOR TIMBERLAKE'S OFFICE AND A WHOLE LIST OF OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO EQUALLY WANTED TO JOIN IN WITH US, TO CONGRATULATE YOU, TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, AND TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUFFOLK WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR US HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY.
I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD DONE SO MUCH, BUT I ENJOY IT.
[00:45:01]
GOT ANY, ANYTHING THAT I DO, I DO IT FROM MY HEART.AND YES, WHEN I ASK PEOPLE TO HELP, THEY HAVE TO COME.
YEAH, YOU HAVE TO COME AND YOU HAVE TO HELP BECAUSE WE ARE HELPING A COMMUNITY.
WE ARE NOT HELPING ONE PERSON.
WE ARE HELPING THOSE OWN NEEDS.
AND YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU BESIDE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, I WANTED TO THANK GOD BEFORE ANYTHING BECAUSE WITH HIS GUIDANCE AND THE STRENGTH THAT HE GIVES ME, ALLOWS ME TO SERVE OTHERS THAT NEED OUR ASSISTANCE.
AND WE DON'T SEE THAT FROM WITH OUR EYES.
THAT'S HOW WE SERVE WITH OUR HEART.
I LIKE TO THANK MY DAUGHTER THAT IS HERE.
I LIKE TO THANK PATRICIA, WHO'S PART OF THE HISPANIC FOR PROGRESS EVENT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COWORKERS WHO CAME HERE TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT TONIGHT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE HONORS AND LET'S JUST KEEP ALL TOGETHER AND WE CAN DO, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WHEN THERE IS A NEED, WE CAN BE THERE.
JUST THE WISHING TO DO AND HELP.
AND I ALWAYS SAY, WHEN I GIVE OUT SOMETHING, WHEN I SERVE FOOD, MY BEST REWARD IS WHEN THEY SAY TO ME, NDI, GOD BLESS YOU.
THAT GIVES ME THE ENERGY TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT I LOVE TO DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
LET'S GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MS. CORRE.
YOU KNOW, PASTOR LIKE YOU, I'M A GOOD CHRISTIAN AND I KNOW THAT THE LORD SAYS, WHEN TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER, I WILL BE THERE IN THE MIDST.
AND IF WE ON ALL THE SAME ACCORD, WE CAN ALWAYS DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD, RIGHT? AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CELEBRATE, TO CELEBRATE OUR CULTURES, OUR HERITAGE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE CRAZIES DOWN IN DC THAT DON'T WANT US TO CELEBRATE ONE ANOTHER.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT.
WE, THEY DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT YOUNG BABY COME BACK UP HERE AND SING, WHO WAS DYNAMITE? YOU GETTING READY TO COME ON BACK UP HERE? COME ON.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO DO ANY OF THAT, BUT WE GOTTA KEEP IT UP AND WE GOTTA KEEP ON MOVING.
SO MISS ZOE HERE, ISN'T SHE AWESOME? LET'S GIVE HER ENOUGH ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
SHE IS A TALENTED AND DRIVEN 15-YEAR-OLD THAT ATTEND PAIN TECH, TECH, PAIN TECH.
AND Y'ALL KNOW WHAT HER MAJOR IS, RIGHT? WHAT'S HER MAJOR MUSIC? CAN'T WE TELL? SHE IS PASSIONATE BOTH ABOUT THE ART, MUSIC, AND ATHLETICS.
SHE'S ALSO STARS ON THE SCHOOL'S SOFTBALL VARSITY TEAM.
OH, LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THAT BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AND FEEL SHE HAS A HEART FOR SERVING OTHERS AND ALSO GIVING BACK THOSE FAITH IS AT THE CENTER OF WHO SHE IS.
AND SHE LOVES USING HER VOICE TO WORSHIP GOD THROUGH MUSIC, SOFTBALL, SERVICE, AND FAITH, ZOE CONTINUES TO GROW INTO A CONFIDENT YOUNG WOMAN.
AND WE KNOW SHE GOT A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF HER.
SO LET'S GIVE IT UP AND GIVE US ANOTHER SONG SELECTION.
ADAM, DO I HAVE SOME TIME TO SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK? GIMME A MINUTE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE.
IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE CELEBRATING HIS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WITH YOU GUYS.
UM, I FIRSTLY WANTED TO THANK MY MOM.
SHE ALSO HAS LIKE A VERY SMALL BUSINESS THAT IS VERY RAPIDLY GROWING AND SHE CAN MAKE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED HER TO MAKE.
[00:50:01]
UM, I WANTED TO THANK HER BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND I'M HERE AND I'M LOVED BY HER, AND I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED.SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU, MOM FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, AND I ALSO WANTED TO THANK GOD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND AS MUCH AS I WANNA ONLY USE IT TO WORSHIP GOD, I ALSO WANNA USE IT TO CELEBRATE MY CULTURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, ZOE.
ALEXA,
OH MY GOD, THE ONLY THING YOU FORGOT TO DO, YOU JUST FORGOT, FORGOT TO TELL THEM THAT I TAUGHT YOU THAT THE OTHER DAY.
REMEMBER AT THE SCHOOL WHEN WE WERE DOING REHEARSAL AND I WAS LIKE, YO, SON, REMEMBER THAT PART? YOU FORGOT.
YOU FORGOT WHAT I TOLD THAT JULIA, THAT WAS ME.
BUT THEY'LL, NEXT TIME WE'LL LET THEM KNOW
BUT OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT A GIFT TO BE HERE.
JUST ONE MORE ROUND APPLAUSE FOR EACH OF YOU FOR CELEBRATING PASTOR.
I THINK YOU, BOTH PASTORS HAVE A SET A TONE BECAUSE ZOE, YOU KNOW, YOU GAVE PRAISE TO YOUR MOM, YOU GAVE PRAISE TO GOD, BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS IN THIS PLACE.
WE KNOW THAT GOD IS IN THIS PLACE BECAUSE EACH OF YOU ARE HERE.
AS WE CELEBRATE THESE DISTINGUISHED HONOREES, AS I PREPARE TO BRING UP OUR NEXT HONOREE, I'M REMINDED OF LOOKING AT THE NEXT GENERATION OF ZOE WHO'S HERE, REMINDED OF MY OWN STORY OF, YOU KNOW, BEING A GIRL BORN AND RAISED RIGHT HERE IN THE CRAZY OF NEWARK.
AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT MY STORY STARTS IN MUSIC.
[00:55:01]
IN ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.GUYANA THE ONLY ENGLISH SPEAKING, UH, COUNTRY.
UH, WHERE THE LANGUAGE, WHERE THE ENG, THE NA, THE NATIVE LANGUAGE IS, UH, ENGLISH IN, IN IN SOUTH AMERICA.
AND MY PARENTS MET AT A REGGAE CLUB IN THE EIGHTIES UNDER THE SOUND OF Y'ALL.
Y'ALL REMEMBER THOSE CLUBS BACK IN THE DAY? SOME OF I KNOW, BUT I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL DO
AND THEN THE YOUNG WOMAN ELECTED TO THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE NEXT GENERATION, AND SO MANY OF THEM ARE HERE WITH US, HERE, HERE AND BEYOND, AND I THINK OF EVEN ME AS A PART OF THAT GENERATION, I THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE PAVED THE WAY.
MY MOM, WHO IS HERE WITH ME TODAY, HEY MA.
MY, MY FATHER WHO IS AN ANGEL IN HEAVEN, AND HE'S BEEN AN ANGEL IN HEAVEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
UH, BUT ALL OF US OF THIS NEXT GENERATION, WE GIVE OUR THANKS TO YOU, OUR PARENTS AND OUR GRANDPARENTS.
SO MANY PEOPLE WHO PAVED THE WAY, MY MOTHER'S FAMILY, WHO AS AFRICAN AMERICANS FOUGHT SO THAT WE COULD HAVE CIVIL RIGHTS AND VOTING RIGHTS AND IMMIGRATION RIGHTS THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MY FATHER, FAILED ME TO BE ABLE TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE GIVE PRAISE FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR ALL OF US TO BE AMERICANS.
AND WE GET TO BE A PART OF THAT.
SO SPEAKING OF THAT, NE OF THAT NEXT GENERATION OF PEOPLE WHO PAID NOT ROBBERY TO INVEST IN THOSE COMING FORWARD, WON'T YOU GIVE ME A HAUGHTY ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY? MY HONOREES, MY DEAR FRIENDS AND SISTERS, CAN THE FOUNDERS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US JUST JOIN US THIS EVENING? BECAUSE AS I BELIEVE IT WAS THE PRESIDENT WHO SHARED, OR MAYBE IT WAS GIL OR MERCADO, I FORGET, OR WHO SHARED EARLIER, WE DON'T GO FAR IF WE DON'T GO TOGETHER.
UM, AND THIS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN WHO HONOR THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO ALLOW ME TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT EACH OF THESE WOMEN.
SO IN 2024, THE CO-FOUNDERS, DIANA CA AND ELIZABETH CARRE CAME TOGETHER WITH SHARED VISION TO CREATE AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING YOUNG WOMEN.
THEIR COMMITMENT TO CREATE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, AND PERSONAL GROWTH BECAME THE YOUNG WOMEN FOUNDATION, THEIR FOUNDATION AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, EDUCATING AND INSPIRING YOUNG WOMEN TO BECOME FUTURE LEADERS AND INFLUENTIAL PILLARS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, FOSTERING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AND MENTORSHIP.
IN 2024, THEY HOSTED THEIR INAUGURAL YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, PROVIDING NEW JERSEY'S, YOUNG WOMEN WITH A FREE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT, LEARN, AND INSPIRED BY WOMEN LEADERS AND PROFESSIONALS.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING AT, I THINK, WAS THAT AT THIS ONE OR WAS IT THE LAST YEAR? 2025, RIGHT? I WAS AT 2025.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU, FIRST OF ALL, AREN'T THEY FABULOUS? CAN'T YOU JUST TELL IT? THEY'RE FABULOUS, RIGHT? BUT IT WAS HOSTED RIGHT HERE IN OUR GREAT CITY OF NEWARK, AT RUTGERS NEWARK, AND JUST THE HUNDREDS OF GIRLS, HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, COLLEGE GIRLS WHO CAME TOGETHER, WHO WERE INSPIRED, WHO WERE POURED INTO BY DIANA, BY RENEE, BY THE LIZ, BY THE ENTIRE BOARD AND STAFF WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE.
AND SO BEFORE US, WE HAVE DIANA, WE HAVE LIZ, WE HAVE RENEE, WE HAVE ASTRID, WHO ARE THE FOUNDERS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE IN ABSENTIA, BUT LET ME CONTINUE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR IMPACT AND ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY DO FOR YOUNG WOMEN.
JUST THIS PAST YEAR IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION EXPANDED ITS IMPACT BY LAUNCHING ITS WOMEN OF IMPACT SCHOLARSHIP TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE PURSUING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW JERSEY.
AND IN NOVEMBER OF 2026, THE FOUNDATION WILL HOST ITS THIRD ANNUAL SUMMIT.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN JOIN US OR BRING YOUR YOUNG WOMEN TOO.
'CAUSE IT'S A REALLY INCREDIBLE EVENT AT KEEN UNIVERSITY AND CONTINUING TO FUND ITS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
FURTHER ITS COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN THE EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, AND FUTURE SUCCESS OF YOUNG WOMEN.
SOME OF US MAY KNOW THAT WE CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH DURING THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD BECAUSE IT'S SURROUND THE INDEPENDENCE TIMES OF MANY OF OUR LATINO, HISPANIC COUNTRIES, INCLUDING COSTA RICO, SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, NICARAGUA, CHILE, MEXICO, AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD DARE SAY I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE ANCESTORS
[01:00:01]
WHO FOUGHT FOR LIBERATION FOR THOSE COUNTRIES, AND SO MANY OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE CARIBBEAN AND THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY FOUGHT FOR, WHAT THEY FOUGHT FOR, WERE YOUNG WOMEN LIKE THIS, WOMEN WHO FIND IT NOT ROBBERY TO NOT ONLY PAVE THEIR WAY, BUT OPEN THE DOOR FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN COMING AFTER THEM.SO TO EACH OF YOU, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M PROUD TO BE YOUR SISTERS IN THIS WORK.
I'M PROUD TO HONOR YOU TODAY, AND WE LIFT YOU AS YOU LIFT OTHERS.
WE GIVE YOU THESE COMMENDATIONS, NOT ONLY ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHERE WE MARK YOU IN THE HISTORY OF ONE OF THE LARGEST AND OLDEST COUNTIES IN THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR SERVICE.
BUT WE ALSO GIVE YOU COMMENDATIONS ON BEHALF OF OUR CONGRESSWOMAN LAMONICA MACGYVER, CONGRESSWOMAN AND ANDIA MEJIA AND SENATORS THAT SR RUIZ, ALSO FROM NEWARK, UH, BRI, UH, SENATOR TIMBERLAKE.
AND WE HAVE OUR OWN COUNCILWOMAN ROUNDTREE, WHO'S HERE WITH US FROM THE NEWARK MUNICIPAL COURT, WHO GRANTED YOU COMMENDATIONS.
WHY WON, DON'T YOU COME JOIN US MINISTER ROUNDTREE, AS WE WELCOME AND CELEBRATE EACH OF THESE SCHOLARS.
SO LET ME JUST FIX THE MIC 'CAUSE I'M A LITTLE SHORT
EVERYONE IS TRULY AN HONOR TO ACCEPT THIS RECOGNITION ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION.
DURING THIS, UM, THE EXIT COUNTY HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION AT THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION, WE, UH, HAVE THE MISSION TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE YOUNG WOMEN TO BECOME FUTURE LEADERS AND POSITIVE INFLUENCERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
THROUGHOUT, WE ALREADY MENTIONED OUR ANNUAL YOUNG WOMEN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT ARE ALSO WOMEN OF IMPACT SCHOLARSHIP, FUND, MENTORSHIP, AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING YOUNG WOMEN TO RECOGNIZE THEIR POTENTIAL AND TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS. THIS RECOGNITION IS VERY MEANINGFUL TO US BECAUSE, UM, WE HOST OUR VERY FIRST, UM, SUMMIT IN EXIT COUNTY.
SO IT'S VERY, VERY MEANINGFUL TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD FROM THE EXIT COUNTY.
AND, UM, WE ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE VICE PRESIDENT DORIAN MARIE THOMAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
BECAUSE IN 2025, SHE AGREED TO BE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, AND SHE CAME TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE WANNA DO.
SHE REMIND YOUNG WOMEN ABOUT THEIR POTENTIAL.
SHE REMIND THEM THAT THERE IS NO SMALL DREAMS. SHE REMIND THEM THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING.
AND THEY, SHE ALSO REMIND THEM THAT THEY CAN DO ANY IMPACT, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO GO AND CHASE THEIR DREAMS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO OUR CONFERENCE, FOR HELPING US TO DO OUR JOB, BUT ALSO SHE INSPIRED ALL OF US TO CONTINUE BEING SISTERS, LIFTING EACH OTHER UP TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER.
SO
YOU ARE A POWERFUL VOICE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND YOU ALSO REMIND US THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS UNITED, WE ARE STRONG.
SO YOU LEAD BY IN, BY EXAMPLE.
YOU SHOW US THE POWER OF UNITY, THE POWER OF REPRESENTATION, THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, AND THE POWER OF THE POWER OF SISTERHOOD ACROSS CULTURES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND WE ARE ALSO VERY GRATEFUL TO THE EXE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, TO THE RESIDENTS FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR AND FOR BELIEVING IN OUR MISSION AND OUR WORK OF THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION.
AND IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW HUMBLE DEANNA AND ALL OF THEM ARE JUST TO MAKE THE REMARKS TO, YOU KNOW, TO CELEBRATE ME.
AND THEN YOU RESPECT IS VERY GENEROUS.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DON'T DO TWO THINGS.
ONE, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY DEAR FRIEND AND SISTER SARAH PINA.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE WITH US TODAY, BUT SARAH IS ACTUALLY HOW YOU AND I MET, I BELIEVE, OR ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ENDED UP WORKING TOGETHER.
ANOTHER NEWARK SISTER WHO JUST DOES EXCELLENT THINGS, QUA I SHOULD ASK, SHOUT OUT TO THE QUAS IN THE BUILDING, BUT WHO IS ALWAYS SHOWING UP FOR THE COMMUNITY OF, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST WANNA GIVE HER SOME LOVE TODAY.
I ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO HONOR EACH OF OUR HONOREES WITH THESE DISTINGUISHED, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS FROM EVERY BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL STATES, UH, COUNTY AND CITY.
[01:05:01]
ALL OF THEM ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY COME TO THE BUILDING WHEN WE GIVE THIS COMMENDATION.AND OF COURSE, MINISTER ROUNDTREE, WHO'S ALSO OUR COUNCILMAN HERE OF NEWARK, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION DO HERE IN NEWARK, FOUNDING, NOT ROBBERY TO PHYSICALLY BE WITH US TODAY.
SO IF YOU WOULD JUST GIVE US A GREETING AND A QUICK LITTLE LOVE, WE JUST WOULDN'T GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE FOUNDATION AND ALL OF OUR HONOREES THIS EVENING.
SHE KNOWS NOT TO GIVE A PREACHER A MICROPHONE WITH A BRIEF PROGRAM
BUT AS I STAND HERE THIS EVENING, AS WE CELEBRATE THE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, UM, I CELEBRATE THE HISPANIC HERITAGE EVERY MONTH, ALL YEAR LONG AS I WANT TO GIVE HONOR TO THE ESSEX COUNTY, A BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO MY BABY GIRL, DANA'S DAUGHTER, SOMEONE WHO I LOVE, WHO I'VE BEEN USING OF THE PHRASE PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
WELL, I WANT TO THANK THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION, BUT I ALSO WANT TO CELEBRATE ALL OF THE HONOREES.
NORMALLY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, I'M IN A COUNCIL MEETING AND CANNOT MAKE IT, AND I SEND THE RESOLUTIONS.
WELL, TODAY WAS A FIVE HOUR DAY MEETING AND I MADE IT OVER HERE BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS, IM IMPORTANT THAT NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR COMMUNITY PRESIDENT RELLE, IF I HAVE TIME, I'M GOING TO SHOW UP.
AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT A DORIAN COMMISSIONER, A DORIAN MURRAY IS AS THE VICE PRESIDENT.
A YOUNG SISTER OF OURS IS LEADING THE WAY AS A YOUNG WOMAN.
THAT WILL BE THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT ALL OF YOU SISTERS ARE DOING OF THE LATINO.
LISTEN, WHEN YOU SEE LATINO, YOU SEE ME.
WHEN YOU SEE AFRICAN AMERICAN, YOU SEE ME.
WHEN YOU SEE HUMANITY, YOU SEE ME.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR, WHILE WE'RE CELEBRATING THEM, WE'RE REALLY CELEBRATING ALL OF OUR YOUNG WOMEN.
WE'RE CELEBRATING ALL OF OUR CULTURES.
AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ARE CELEBRATING HUMANITY.
SO PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AS WE CELEBRATE ALL THE HONOREES FOR THE YOUNG WOMEN'S FOUNDATION.
I'M GONNA SIT DOWN BEFORE I GET A FULL TEXT.
AND ONCE AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, THE MAYOR OF OUR GREAT CITY, THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, MAYOR OF VACAVILLE, WE HAVE PRESENTED RESOLUTIONS TO ALL THE HONOREES.
YOU ALSO HAVE A CONGRAT, YOUR CONGRATULATORY LETTER FROM OUR MAYOR TO MARK THIS DAY IN HISTORY THAT YOU WERE CELEBRATED BY THE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE YOUNG WOMEN FOUNDATION.
AND TO MY COMMISSIONER, COLLEAGUE, VICE PRESIDENT.
I MET A DORIAN WHEN SHE WAS RUNNING FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND FROM THAT POINT ON, I KNEW THAT SHE HAD A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE.
I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC OFFICE SERVING, UM, FOR GOVERNMENT FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF SPEECHES, A LOT OF, I STILL GET NERVOUS.
I STILL GET, THIS IS A YOUNG STAR RIGHT HERE.
SHE SPEAKS, WHEN I GET A SPEECH, I GOTTA WRITE IT DOWN.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND SHE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB.
SO NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, UM, WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WOMEN, YOU KNOW, UM, I WAS RAISED BY WOMEN.
MY MOM, I HAVE MY WIFE, I HAVE FOUR DAUGHTERS,
[01:10:01]
AND NOW I GOT FOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS.AND THEN, AND THEY'VE BEEN TELLING ME WHAT TO DO MY ENTIRE LIFE.
BUT I'VE DONE ALL THAT I CAN TO SUPPORT WOMEN TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE EQUAL ACCESS, TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE EQUAL PAY.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE COULD DO TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FUEL FOR YOUNG GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, AND ESPECIALLY LATINA WOMEN.
SO I AM SO PROUD THAT IN NEWARK AND IN ESSEX COUNTY, WE HAVE SUCH, SO MANY DYNAMIC, STRONG LEADERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE HONOREES, WHAT'S THE COMMON DENOMINATOR? WOMEN, THEY'RE ALL WOMEN.
AND WE NEED WOMEN TO BE AT THE TABLE.
WE NEED WOMEN TO GIVE US GUIDANCE.
AND WE NEED WOMEN TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS, NOT ONLY IN LOCAL AND STATE AND AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE HAVE SEVERAL, I'VE HAD THE HONOR AND THE PRIVILEGE TO CALL MY FRIEND, UM, SENATOR RUIZ.
UM, I'VE BEEN WITH HER FOR 20, OVER 20 YEARS.
UM, AND SHE HAS REALLY MADE US PROUD IN ESSEX COUNTY AND IN NEWARK AND, AND BEING THE FIRST PUERTO RICAN LATINA, THE MOST POWERFUL PUERTO RICAN LATINA IN THE STATE.
AND, AND, AND IT'S WOMEN LIKE SENATOR ESA, THAT, THAT GIVES INSPIRATION TO THE YOUNG SO THAT THEY CAN SEE I COULD DO THAT.
WHEN THEY START LOOKING LIKE US AT THAT LEVEL, THEN WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BRING THEM UP AND RISE THEM AND, AND GIVE THEM ALL THE RESOURCES AND TOOLS SO THAT THEY CAN EXCEL AND BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE.
AND RIGHT NOW IN NEWARK, UH, I, UH, THIS IS MY THIRD TERM AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST TERM.
UM, AND, AND IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.
YOU KNOW, I, I TOOK A, A LEAP INTO THE POLITICS.
AND, AND, AND THOSE IN POLITICS WILL TELL YOU THAT
UM, BUT, UM, I JUMPED IN AND, AND IT WAS JUST ANOTHER ARENA FOR ME TO HELP OTHERS.
YOU KNOW, I'M A SOCIAL WORKER BY PROFESSION.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN IN STATE GOVERNMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY FOR 30 YEARS WORKING, UM, WITH YOUNG, CHALLENGING, UH, UH, JUVENILES, UM, RUNNING THEIR PAROLE OFFICE.
UM, WE HELP THEM WHEN THEY GET OUT TO COME BACK AND GET BACK TO STABILIZING THEMSELVES AND MAKE 'EM PRODUCTIVE, UH, SYSTEM AND PUT BEING PRODUCTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND I HAVE BEEN A PART OF, UH, MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT HAVE KIND OF PAVED THE WAY FOR ME.
AND, AND IN, IN POLITICS, IT WAS IN THE NORTH WARD, UM, IN GOVERNMENT.
I HAD A DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS THAT, THAT KIND OF PAVED THE WAY FOR ME.
MY FIRST JOB WAS AT LA CA PEDRO.
UM, AT THE AGE OF 16, I WAS A FRESHMAN AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IN NEW BRUNSWICK.
I GOT TO COLLEGE REALLY EARLY.
AND THEN FROM THERE IN THE SUMMER, I STARTED WORKING AT LA CAA.
AND FROM THERE I WENT TO, UM, UH, I WORKED FOR ALL LIKE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX NONPROFITS.
SO THROUGHOUT MY WHOLE STAY IN, IN, IN, UH, IN MY CAREER, I'VE ALWAYS DEDICATED MYSELF TO HELPING OTHERS.
UM, AND, AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF HELP.
UM, AND ONE OF THE PERSONS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE AND HAVE ASSISTED ME, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST, UM, UH, TWO TERMS, IS THIS INDIVIDUAL RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE COMMITTEE.
GELLE,
AND SHE HAS A WAY TO TO, TO ATTRACT FOLKS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ORGANIZE A PARADE.
UM, UH, LIKE THE NEWARK PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE LARGEST PARADE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
AND SHE'S DONE SO MUCH, UM, AND PUT SO MUCH EFFORT IN IT.
AND THROUGHOUT THAT, SHE HAS ALSO ASSISTED ME IN, IN, IN SOME OF MY, UM, EVENTS THAT I SPONSORED AS WELL.
SO I ASKED GELLE, UM, COULD I HAVE, UM, CAN I HAVE HER
[01:15:01]
ROYAL COURT COME AND TO PRESENT HER? SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROYAL COURT AND THEN INTRODUCE THE YOUNG LADIES THAT ARE HERE FOR US TO CELEBRATE.COMMISSIONER MERCADO, ROBERTO MERCADO.
UM, IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE, UM, REPRESENTING, UH, NOT JUST THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE, BUT YOU KNOW, THE WOMEN AND THE LATINOS THAT ARE STANDING HERE.
UM, NOT ONLY LEADING, BUT ALSO FOLLOWING THE STEPS OF THOSE THAT PAVED THE WAY.
SO I WANNA THANK THE GREATEST GIANTS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE DONE THAT FOR US, AND TO AFFORD US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UM, THIS IS MY, ALSO MY FIFTH YEAR ON THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
TWO TERMS, UH, AS AN ELECTED PRESIDENT.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR.
AND TODAY I HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE GREATEST HONOR BECAUSE I BEGAN WITH THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
OH, ONCE A QUEEN, ALWAYS A QUEEN.
SO YOU MIGHT SEE MY CROWN SHINING HERE, RIGHT? AND I SAY THAT, UH, BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WOMEN HERE ARE QUEENS, RIGHT? AND WE DON'T NEED A CROWN TO ACTUALLY, UH, GIVE US THAT TAR
WHEN I STEPPED FOOT IN THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE, I MADE SHARE REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, I HAD JUST CAME FROM PUERTO RICO AND DIDN'T KNOW ANY ENGLISH, DIDN'T KNOW FLOOR FROM DOOR, UH,
AND I CAME HERE, UH, BECAUSE MOST PARENTS MOVED TO THEIR, TO THIS COUNTRY, LOOKING FOR A DREAM, RIGHT? AND MY PARENTS WEREN'T LOOKING FOR THAT.
AND AT 12 YEARS OLD, I SAID TO MY MOM, MY BROTHER AND I SPOKE, AND WE SAID, WE WANT TO LEAVE.
BECAUSE WHERE WE ARE, THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
AND SEEING OUR PEERS AND OUR FRIENDS AT THAT TIME WHERE THEY WERE HEADED, IT WOULD SPIRAL TO US.
AND AT 12 YEARS OLD, I MADE A DECISION AND I SAID, I WANNA MOVE FUERA.
AND IF YOU'RE PUERTO RICAN, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? BUT JATA MEANS LIKE NEW YORK, CHICAGO, NEW JERSEY, WHEREVER IT MEANS.
AND I LANDED IN NEWARK AND I HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.
SO I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT MY MOTHER SIGNED ME UP AND I WAS ALSO IN SPORTS.
UH, I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH, UH, PAGEANTRY, BUT SHE SIGNED ME UP TO THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
AND THAT WAS 30 PLUS YEARS AGO.
AND FULL CIRCLE, FIVE YEARS AGO, I BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND ONLY WITH THE SAME GOAL, TO CONTINUE TO EMPOWER, TO CONTINUE TO BUILD, TO CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WAY FOR YOUNG, UM, YOUNG LADIES.
AND SO I HAVE THE HONOR TODAY TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR ROYAL COURT.
AND IF YOU LADIES, PLEASE COME THIS WAY.
THESE YOUNG LADIES, THEY REPRESENT SO MUCH MORE THAN CROWNS AND SASHES.
THEY REPRESENT OUR CULTURE, THEY REPRESENT OUR CONFIDENCE, LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND OF COURSE, PUERTO RICAN PRIDE.
IT IS OUR MISSION, UH, TO EDUCATE, PROMOTE AND PRESERVE OUR CULTURE, WHILE EMPOWERING YOUNG LADIES, UH, UH, LIKE YOU SEE TODAY.
WE REMIND THEM THAT THE CROWN IS NOT WHAT MAKES THE QUEEN, IT'S HOW SHE SERVES, HOW SHE LEADS, AND HOW SHE REPRESENTS HER CULTURE.
TONIGHT, DURING THIS HISPANIC HERITAGE, UH, MONTH CELEBRATION, THEY STAND HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AS AMBASSADORS OF OUR HERITAGE AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU OUR MISS AMBA ALEXIA PISANO, AND I WANNA SHARE ALEXIA PARTICIPATED TWO TIMES, TWO DIFFERENT YEARS.
IN 2025, SHE WON MISS CONGENIALITY, AND 2026 SHE CAME FOR THE CROWN AND SHE GOT IT.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS, AND I'M GONNA INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR LITTLE MISS PUERTO RICO, BAILEY CI BAILEY IS NINE, NINE YEARS OLD, AND SHE'S A SUPER TALENTED YOUNG LADY.
AND, UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, I WANNA PRESENT TO YOU.
SO THERE'S TWO MORE, UH, THAT BELONG IN THE ROYAL COURT, OUR TINY MISS, WHICH IS, UM, MARILYN J. RAMOS, AND WE CALL HER
[01:20:01]
MJ, WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.AND ALSO OUR MISS TEEN PUERTO RICO, MALE ORTIZ.
AND THEY ALL REPRESENTED THEIR MUNICIPALITIES SUPER AMAZING.
BUT TODAY, TO REPRESENT THIS ROYAL COURT, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR MISS PUERTO RICO 2025 JORDAN ROSE MERCADO JORDAN JUST STARTED HER COLLEGE CAREER, AND, UH, SHE ALSO PARTICIPATED.
I WANNA SHARE THIS BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT A PAGEANT, RIGHT? SHE PARTICIPATED TWO YEARS.
IN THE FIRST YEAR SHE WON MISS TEEN PUERTO RICO.
AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH THIS, THAT IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE CROWN, BUT ABOUT THE VALUE THAT SHE GAINED FROM THIS, THAT SHE WANTED MORE AND SHE CONTINUED.
AND NOW SHE BECAME MISS PUERTO RICO FOR THIS YEAR.
AND I PRESENT TO YOU OUR ROYAL COURT THIS SATURDAY.
THEY WILL BE, UH, CROWNING THE NEW QUEENS AND, UH, BUT THEY CONTINUE TO BE OUR QUEENS FOREVER.
THE BODY SAID GO, BUT THE KNEE SAID, WAIT A MINUTE,
WHICH 1:00 AM I DOING? I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER SUPER FIRE.
AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LET'S GIVE 'EM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND NOW I HAD THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF INTRODUCING OUR TALENTED VOCALIST FOR ONE MORE SONG.
PLEASE GIVE IT UP ONE MORE TIME.
[01:26:30]
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT, EVERYBODY GIVE IT OFF FOR ZOE.AND NOW FOR OUR NEXT HONOREE, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING JAMIL HERNANDEZ UP TO THE PODIUM, ALLOW ME TO SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF, UH, JAMAL'S COMMENDATION.
JAMIL HERNANDEZ IS A DISTINGUISHED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL WITH LICENSES AS A BROKER IN NEW JERSEY, FLORIDA, PUERTO RICO.
AND AS A MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER IN NEW JERSEY AND FLORIDA, JAMIL BEGAN HER CAREER IN BANKING SECTOR IN NEWARK, AND THEN A PROMINENT ROLE AT A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY IN SAN JUAN.
FOLLOWING HER SUCCESSFUL, HER SUCCESSFUL CAREER, JAMIL RELOCATED TO NEW JERSEY TO FOCUS ON HER FAMILY AND EXPLORE ENT ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES.
SHE ENGAGED IN SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND CO-FOUNDED AND INVESTMENT PROPERTY BUSINESS WITH HER HUSBAND.
HER PASSION FOR REAL ESTATE HAS LED HER TO PURSUE A CAREER AS A LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT.
SHE WORKED WITH KELLER WILLIAMS TEAM REALTY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO GET IN THERE.
UNITED REAL ESTATE, NEW JERSEY, BEFORE ESTABLISHING HER OWN BROKERAGE.
36 REALTY 360, OH, I'M SORRY, 360 REALTY.
JAMIL IS ALSO ACTIVE IN HER COMMUNITY, SERVING AND CONTRIBUTING TO LOCAL NON-PROFITS IN NEWARK, CLIFTON, BELLEVILLE.
SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS A SECOND TERM AS A TREASURER OF THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
JAMIL IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING A HOME, A WELCOMING EXPERIENCE FOR NEW RESIDENTS AND VALUES, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS AND CLIENTS.
HER COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONALISM AND COMMUNITY SERVICE DEFINES HER APPROACH TO REAL ESTATE.
JAMIL, YOU ARE A TREASURE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT YOU AMONG OUR NEIGHBORS.
IT'S MY HONOR TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE BOARD'S PLAQUE AND COMMENDATION, AND THE CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMAN VER AND MEJIA AND SENATORS RUIZ AND TIMBERLAKE.
WILL YOU SAY A FEW WORDS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WANNA THANK MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND, MY SON, AND MY MOTHER THAT ARE HERE.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES, MY TEAM, PART OF MY TEAM IS HERE.
AND, UM, FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO DREAM AND TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS. SOMEONE TOLD ME ONCE YOU ARE NEVER GONNA DO IT, AND I DID IT.
SO BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOBBY.
[01:30:02]
ONE MORE.I KNOW AS I WAS TALKING TO JAMIL, UM, AND FOLLOWING HER, UM, AND, UH, SHE, HER SON WAS ACCEPTED TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
AND SO PROUD OF YOU, SO PROUD OF YOUR SON, AND HE'S A FRESHMAN AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY.
IT IS TIME, AND IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO CALL UP OUR LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST HONOREE OF THE PROGRAM.
PLEASE GIVE A WARM ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ANTONIA ALDO, WHO WE KNOW AS TATA ANTONIA IS A PROUD PUERTO RICAN WHO REPRESENTS THE ISLAND AND CULTURE OUT LOUD.
IF YOU KNOW TATA, YOU KNOW, IS SHE LETS YOU KNOW, SHE'S HERE FOR MANY YEARS.
SHE'S GIVEN UP HERSELF IN HER MULTIPLE ROLES TO THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE.
UM, I'VE BEEN A PART OF, I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE FOR 50 YEARS.
I, I, MY FIRST WAS, AS A LITTLE KID WAS THE TIME THAT THEY HAD THAT, THAT, THAT WHOLE, YES.
UM, AND, AND THROUGH THE YEARS I FOLLOWED, AND I'VE ALWAYS SUPPORT THEM SERVING NEWARKERS WITH HER CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, HER ACTIVITIES THAT PROVIDE WITH GREAT FULFILLMENT AND JOY.
ANTONIO WAS RAISED IN BIJA, PUERTO RICO UNTIL THE AGE OF 12.
WHEN HER MOTHER MOVED THE FAMILY TO NEWARK.
SHE GRADUATED FROM BARRINGER HIGH SCHOOL.
BLUE BEARS, AND WENT ON TO OBTAIN HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION FROM MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY.
YES, SHE WAS EMPLOYED BY THE SOCIAL SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WORKING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR 42 YEARS.
AND DURING HER TIME THERE, SHE, SHE WAS AWARDED THE COMMISSION'S CITATION FOR EXCELLENCE AND FOR OUTSTANDING WORK, ANTONIO'S MAGNETIC, MAGNETIC, RESILIENT, AND LOVINGLY KNOWN TO ALL OF US, LIKE I SAID, IS TATA.
TATA, I AM SO THANKFUL FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOUR MOM MADE THE HOME HERE IN NEWARK.
OUR COMMUNITY IS SO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU.
THE LOVE THAT YOU BRING, THE VIBRANT THAT YOU BRING TO NEWARK, TO OUR COUNTY, AND TO THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PURE.
IT JUST SPEAKS TO THE PRESENCE THAT YOU HAVE AND THE HUMILITY THAT YOU HAVE.
SO I AM HONORED TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE BOARD'S PLAQUE AND COMMENDATION AND THE CERTIFICATES FROM THE CONGRESSWOMAN AND THE SENATORS.
AND AGAIN, I AM A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE OF YOU, AND WE ALL ARE, ESPECIALLY THE PUERTO RICAN DAY COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THAT YOU SAY A FEW WORDS.
[01:35:01]
WHAT WE GOTTA DO.SO IF IT LOOKS GOOD, THAT MEANS I'M PROUD.
AND I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF, WHY DO I WANNA GET INVOLVED IN THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE? UNTIL FIVE YEARS AGO, I WAS STANDING IN BLOOMFIELD AVENUE, IT WAS FULL OF THE QUEENS, BUT EVERYONE WAS SO HAPPY.
THAT MOMENT MADE ME SO PROUD TO BE PUERTORICAN THAT I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? SO ONE DAY I WAS WORKING, I WAS WORKING, AND I HAD TWO, THAT TWO CINTAS SASHES.
AND THE LADY SAID, WHY DO YOU HAVE TWO? EVERYONE HAS ONE.
I SAID, WELL, I'M AN HONOREE BECAUSE I'M A DELEGATE.
AND SHE WAS, SHE WAS LIKE, IT DOESN'T SAY THAT ON IT.
I SAID, THEN WHY YOU ASK ME, HUH? BUT ANYWAY, THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE THERE FOR WHOEVER NEEDS US.
AND WHEN WE DO WHAT WE DO, WE GET HOME AND YOU COULD PUT YOUR HEAD IN THE PILLOW AND SAY, I MADE IT.
SO IF YOU EVER, EVER SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU WILL GO HOME AND SAY, I DID IT.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU TATA, CONGRATULATIONS TO, TO ALL OUR HONOREES, TO ZOE.
SHE WAS, SHE SANG IN AN EVENT ON THE PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE SOME YEARS AGO, AND SHE SANG.
AND I WAS LIKE, WE NEED, I NEED SOMEONE TO SING.
AND ONE DAY I'M GONNA ASK HER, AND ONE DAY I'M GONNA ASK, ASK HER.
AND THAT DAY CAME, AND I, AND HERE YOU ARE.
SO WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
SO AS WE CONCLUDE OUR PROGRAM TO ALL HONOREES, WE APPRECIATE THE TIME, COMMITMENT AND, AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN AND DISPLAYED HERE TODAY.
UM, I WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, UM, THE PARADE IS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH.
UM, EVERYONE'S INVITED COME AND THERE'LL BE A FESTIVAL AFTERWARDS IN THE PARK BY THE LIONS.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COMMISSIONER BOARD, UM, WE WANNA INVITE EVERYONE, UH, THIS EVENING TO COME OUT TO, UM, THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
WE HAVE SOME REFRESHMENTS FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA ASK ALL THE HONOREES TO STAY BACK SO WE CAN TAKE SOME PICTURES.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA ASK OUR PASTOR TO COME IN TO CLOSE THE PROGRAM AND BLESS THE FOOD.
BUT BEFORE HE DOES THAT, MY, MY PRESIDENT AND I HAS SPOKEN EARLIER AND I ALMOST, ALMOST FORGOT, UM, THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SOME CLOSING REMARKS.
SO LET ME JUST SAY THAT PRESIDENT, UM, HE AND I WERE ELECTED THE SAME YEAR WE CAME IN TOGETHER.
WE SAT ON THAT CORNER AND WE CALLED IT WHAT? THE LATIN CORNER? THE LATIN CORNER.
UM, HE HAS SERVED WITH DISTINCTION.
I'M SO PROUD OF HIS LEADERSHIP.
I AM SO PROUD, UM, TO CALL HIM MY FRIEND AND TO CALL HIM NU THANK YOU.
SAY IF YOU, WAYNE, YOU STAY RIGHT HERE.
WHEN YOU'RE, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD, YOU GET TO HIJACK THE PROGRAM WHENEVER YOU WANT.
AND UH, HE WAS LIKE, YOU DO THE CLOSING, YOU'RE THE PROCESS.
NO, BOBBY, YOU DO THE, YOU DO THE CLOSING.
THIS IS, AS YOU KNOW, BOBBY'S, UH, LAST OFFICIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF MONTHS AS COMMISSIONER.
BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE NOT QUEENS.
AND, UH, IT IS, UH, THERE'S UH, A LOT OF LOVE AND RESPECT FOR PRIOR COMMISSIONERS WHEN THEY COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SERVED MANY YEARS AGO, UH, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO, THEY COME BACK,
[01:40:01]
YOU KNOW, WE WILL CALL FREEHOLDERS OR FREELOADERS, WHATEVER YOU PREFER,UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THAT BECAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, THIS IS THE BEST PART OF THE JOB RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? THIS IS THE BEST WHEN YOU GET TO HONOR PEOPLE, WHEN YOU GET TO CELEBRATE THE, THE GREAT TALENTS AND, AND SELFLESSNESS OF OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S EVEN EVEN MORE SPECIAL.
SO BOBBY AND I CAME IN TOGETHER IN, UH, 18 FINALLY, RIGHT? 18.
AND UH, YOU KNOW, WE EXPERIENCED THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, HERE AND TRYING TO GOVERN.
WE WERE SWORN IN ON THE FATEFUL JANUARY 6TH WHEN THE CAPITOLS BEING RIGHTED.
WE HAD TO, WE WERE SWORN IN, VIRTUALLY, VIRTUALLY.
YEAH, WE'RE STUCK IN PLACES AND UH, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T GIVE CREDIT FOR THE TIMES THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE THE RIGHT ONES, BUT THEY'RE NOT POPULAR ONES.
AND THIS COULD BE A, A TOUGH BUSINESS, YOU KNOW? BUT I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, AS BOBBY SERVED HERE, UM, THE ONE THING THAT I ALWAYS ADMIRED BOBBY FOR AMONG MANY THINGS, WAS HIS CLASS ACT THAT HE REPRESENTED NOT ONLY HIS COMMUNITY, BUT YOUR FAMILY.
AND YOU WENT THROUGH SOME TOUGH, TOUGH TIMES THERE.
LOSS OF, YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS AND ALL THAT.
REMEMBER GOING TO WAKES AND THE AMOUNT OF LOVE THAT WAS ALWAYS AROUND YOU IS A TESTAMENT TO THE MEN YOU HAVE BECOME OVER THE YEARS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S ONE THING YOU AND I SHARE THAT IF, YOU KNOW, OUR PARENTS WERE HERE TODAY, THAT WOULD, AND THE OTHER LEGACY THAT WE WORRY ABOUT IS THE LEGACY WE FOR KIDS.
SO THAT WHEN THEY SEE US ON YOUTUBE TWO YEARS FROM NOW,
THAT THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY MAY MAKE FUN OF US.
THAT'S INEVITABLE, BUT THEY WON'T BE EMBARRASSED BY THIS.
AND THOSE HAVE BEEN OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES HERE, AND WE SHARE A LOT OF THAT.
AND SO BABI AND I HAVE A SPECIAL KINSHIP FROM DAY ONE.
SO BEFORE WE GO AND HAVE
UM, I WANTED, I WANTED TO DEDICATE TONIGHT TO BOBBY BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN THE, THE, THE LA CORON HAS BEEN THE GUY, LIKE THE STAFF, LIKE COMMISSIONERS, YOU GUYS ARE LATINO.
WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? AND UH, BOBBY'S USUALLY BEEN THE GUY WHO RUNS MOST OF THIS.
I'VE ALWAYS ASKED, HEY, HEY BOB, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT DO YOU DO? OH, WE GOT PASTOR HERE, WE GOT TALENT HERE.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT FROM BELLVILLE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT, RIGHT IN MY AREA.
SO I THINK HE STANDS HERE ALONE.
WE GIVE HIM A RUN OF APPLAUSE.
NOW, BEFORE BOBBY CRIES, WE'RE GONNA GO HAVE FOOD, BUT WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE HONOREES HERE.
SO EVERYONE JUST CHILL, RELAX.
THE GUY WITH THE BIG CAMERA HERE, HE IS GONNA TAKE A LOT OF PICTURES.
AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE YOURS AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FIRST WE'RE GONNA ASK ALL OF THE HONOREES TO COME FORWARD WITH YOUR HEART.
AND THEN AFTER PASTOR DONE ASKING THE HONOREE COME, I GOT, WE ALL CARRIED AWAY.
AND PASTOR LESLIE, LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND, WE WERE LIKE THIS BIG PLAYING BASEBALL AND I AM SO PROUD OF HIM.
I'M SO PROUD OF HIS LEADERSHIP.
HIS DAD FOUNDED THE CHURCH AND WHEN HIS DAD WENT AND PASSED, HE TOOK OVER AND HE STILL CONTINUES.
SO I AM SO, UM, HUMBLE FOR HIS PRESENCE HERE.
IF YOU'RE SO, UH, LOVING TO BOW YOUR HEADS AT THIS TIME
[01:45:18]
TO PROSPER THAT TO A, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH PASTOR RAMOS.UM, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, HONOR, HONOR, SO ALL THE HONOREES, IF YOU CAN COME UP SO WE CAN TAKE SOME PHOTOS, UM, THE FAMILIES AND ALL CAN GO AND DO SOME REFRESHMENTS IN, IN THE CORNER CONFERENCE ROOM.
AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, HERE, UH, WE WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING.
THANK CONGRATULATE ALL THE HONOREES, AND LET'S HAVE SOME MEAT.