letter from Commisioner Ryan

We just received a letter from the commissioner Ryan, that said that the decision will be finalized in January, after the Holidays, and the person in charge is now will be Catherine DeCheser, CPAC's President and Chief Executive Officer.
CPAC=Camden Community Planning and Advocacy Council.
It is also sais that after a New Year DCF will arrange "discussions and open" greater dialogue with neighbors.
Has anybody else got the letter?
1105 west valleybrook.

Letter also received at 1111.......

1109 Received the letter.

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Has anyone from the Tanforan or Voorhees house(s) received this?

If so, can you check, specifically, the third paragraph from the end which states “neighbors of the Brookfield home…..” Was it replaced with Tanforan, Voorhees?

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If anyone would like a copy, just email me and I'll send it to you.

Maureen
gornowski@comcast.net

Dear Resident,



We want to make certain you receive the attached letter from Commissioner Kevin Ryan regarding the Brookfield group home. On yesterday this letter was distributed in your neighborhood. We have talked in the past and are committed to continuing the dialogue with you.



Sincerely yours,



Carole Dortch-Wright

Deputy Director

Communications and Legislation

Department of Children and Families

609-292-0422

All:

I received a call from the reporter from the Courier Post. Apparently (according to her) no decision has been made on the Brookfield House. Our friends in Cherry Hill Estates are not quite so lucky. Their letter informed them that the house in their area IS OPENING, and that they will be moving residents in within the next 2 months. They are also going to be working through Catherine DeChesire with CPAC to "ease the transition." CPAC has been "hired" to work with all of us.

I told Lisa, that we still intend to fight tooth and nail to prevent this home from opening. I also told her that we will organize, not only to try and prosecute our less than truthful politicians, but all those like our friend at Commerce Bank Corp, who finance them. I told Lisa (and we should do this in conjunction with the Voorhees and Cherry Hill Estates Groups) that we will boycott (and will encourage all we are in contact with to do so as well)any and all services of Commerce Bank, until their CEO (Mr. Norcross) stops messing around with the livelyhoods all of the residents of this area. We need to hit them where they live, in their wallets, this goes for the corporations as well as the politicians. We also need to get that letter out to the Attorney Generals Office, I could use some help in finishing that up. I also had a thought as to a challenge on a Constitutional Basis, as every citizen has a right to due process, which seems to have been circumvented/subverted in this case.

We need to be prepared to picket this house, should they decide to move in, so keep all of that Christmas Cardboard !!!!!

Andy

Via Email
December 20, 2007



Dear Commissioner Ryan and Ms. Dortch-Wright:

Thanks for your December 17th letter. It was some relief to have any communication from you. I am glad you followed through on your earlier guarantee to get back to me. Although the Brookfield home is not opening up at this time, I can only make my own conclusions that our residential and community due diligence, i.e. gathering of facts, information and research presented to you, put a halt on occupancy. Some criteria, protocol and codes of behavior should remain the same and not change for any group home for the safety of any child placed in a group home of this nature. Specifically, the distance between houses, green acres of land behind a residential property, pool, upper decks, parking spaces available, etcetera.


Because I have been directly affected and feel so wronged from the beginning (June/July) by old and potential new neighbors, the obvious non-care of the property/house up to and including now next door to me, my feelings remain the same for all group homes everywhere. There ought to be a set of standards for choosing a property/community.


The Brookfield Community has listened, attended, recorded and has been very responsive to your presentations; we have communicated all of our legitimate concerns, feelings, facts, and fears. I have personally avoided the media spotlight, so that I may subjectively and objectively thoroughly understand this precedent-setting issue, and how it affects my family, my neighborhood and my community. I do so with the best interest of everyone, especially keeping in mind all of the children.

With the promise that we will be hearing from a Catherine DeCheser for continuing dialogue, I honestly don’t think I have any more energy, stamina or emotion for more chit chats. At this point we would hope and expect a decision from you, Commissioner Ryan, be handed down to NJMentor suggesting they seek a property in a neighborhood where they may find a better fit, for the neighbors and for the children they serve.


cc: Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt aswlampitt@njleg.org