Pastor Bernadette Falcon-Lopez

At a recent Perth Amboy City Council Meeting, some of the speakers asked that there be more respect given to each other. I couldn’t agree more.

There was a well known late Mayor in Middlesex County who had a tiger in his tank. He was very passionate, demonstrative. He would sometimes get into physical confrontations at Council Meetings.

I know it’s hard for some people to control their emotions at Council Meetings.

That being said, I have to hand it to someone who is always very even tempered. I have to give kudos to Pastor Bernadette Falcon-Lopez.

At the January 22, 2014 Meeting, the Pastor was a candidate for a vacancy on the Housing Authority. As she was speaking to the Council about her qualifications to be a Commissioner, someone in the audience made a snide remark. That remark was, “All we need is another pastor as a Commissioner in the Housing Authority.”

I don’t know if Pastor Lopez heard this remark, since it was made by someone that was very close to where she was standing.

Pastor Lopez has spoken at other Council Meetings and she has never passed judgements on others.

At one of those meetings she spoke about how grateful she was that the City and other organizations in town helped so much at a recent Christmas party held at the Holy Trinity Church on December 21, 2013.

She said that some of the people attending the party were homeless and Sandy victims. Gifts, clothing and food was donated. Some of the people she thanked besides the City included PRAHD, Catholic Charities, The Renovation House and Dot Daniel.

Pastor Lopez remarked said, “There was such an abundance of gifts and food that we were able to give additional assistance to families during that week.” She ended her comments by saying that she was blessed to be part of the City.

When Pastor Bernie talked why she thought she would make a good Housing Authority Commissioner, some things stood out in my mind.

She stated that she cared about the City, the planning and quality control. She was familiar with auditing and how to build and develop. She liked to be a part of the solution – not the problem. She emphatically stated, “I give 110%. I don’t sleep much. I help place people according to their financial needs. My husband lived in the Stockton Street Projects (Perth Amboy) while we were dating. I am a woman of integrity and moral value.”

There is something about Pastor Bernie. When she speaks, you can tell it’s from the heart and she is true to her word, but yet, she will not be a pushover. This is just a feeling I have about her.

The Council approved her appointment as a Commissioner in the Housing Authority for a term expiring December 31, 2018. If slings, shots and arrows are tossed her way she seems like the type of person that can handle that. That includes the good, the bad or the ugly.

-Carolyn M.