Steven Velásquez - Granting "Sirenity"

by Steven P. Velasquez October 31, 2011 As last week's weather forecasts began to mention the "S" word for North and West Jersey, I and I assume a great many others, believed it was another bogus forecast designed to stir public interest and increase their viewer base.  As the weekend rolled up, it became more plausible that this was in fact a storm with real consequences and it's no B.S., it's coming! Who in the northeast ever remembers snow before Halloween?  Yes, possible but definitely not probable.  Well it arrived and packed quite the punch too.  Some of the complicating factors were that the trees still held their leaves compounded by a heavy, wet snow-fall and high winds.  This tri-fecta of seasonal circumstances created a Nor'easter we won't soon forget , particularly those of us in Emergency Services. The snow began to fall mid-afternoon on Saturday.  When I awoke to go to work the night shift in Newark, my truck had a tree down in front ...

by Steven P. Velasquez Oct. 7, 2011 Few people in my life know that I’ve made some changes over the recent past and fewer still know why.  Suffice it to say the reasons are personal and it matters not who’s at fault.  When it comes to human relationships and parenting, the only people that truly matter are the children and immediate family members.  A little over a week ago while my Facebook account was blowing up with literally hundreds of birthday wishes (which I truly appreciate and admit they helped me greatly while dealing with said issue), my life at home had finally burst at the seams and required drastic change.  It was time to leave.  That realization was made years ago, but for reasons economic had not yet manifested.  Now, ready or not, it had just become too much and required immediate action.  Fortunately, thank God, my parents were kind enough to open their arms and say “Come home son.” Pay no attention to the ...