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And theyre off

at Monmouth Park
Excitement builds even if tracks future
remains uncertain. SPORTS, 1C

05.15.16

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CHILDREN OF HEROIN

CITIZENSHIP
INCREASING

Donald Trumps rise as GOP presidential

nominee spurs N.J. immigrants to naturalize

TANYA BREEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Marianne and Claude Thouret Jr. of Matawan speak about

their son, Justin Thouret, who died Dec. 31.

Shore parents
take up battle
against heroin
Their son died from an overdose;
then they wrote an honest obituary
KEN SERRANO @KENSERRANOAPP

PHOTOS BY TANYA BREEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Gloria Gomez of Elizabeth, who immigrated from Colombia, becomes a citizen of the United States during a
naturalization ceremony at the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark on May 12.

13%

KAREN YI @KAREN_YI

Increase in applications for U.S.

citizenship for the
last six months of
2015, compared to
the same time in
2014 in New Jersey

NEWARK - Clutching a small American flag, Gloria Elsy Gomez waved it high
in the air, reveling in the first few seconds of her new citizenship.
Today, she was officially American and, more importantly, a member of the
electorate.
Thats why I became a citizen, Gomez, who was born in Colombia and lives in
Elizabeth, said during her naturalization ceremony. Im interested in voting so
that Donald Trump doesnt become president.
Trumps rise as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, coupled with his
harsh rhetoric against Mexicans, the undocumented and Muslim refugees, has emboldened many immigrants in the Garden State to naturalize for the right to vote,
activists say.
They know they want to take a stand against Donald Trump, said Rita Dentino,
director of Casa Freehold, an immigrant advocacy group. Thats universal.
Naturalization applications in New Jersey in the last six months of 2015 increased by 13 percent compared to the same period last year, according to data

19,829
Total number of
applications for
naturalization
from July through
December 2015

In a state where heroin addiction claims two lives a

day, it would have been easy to overlook the death of
accomplished local musician Justin P. Thouret. The 31year-old drummer and tech school student overdosed in
his home in Matawan on New Years Eve.
As they fought through their tears his mother,
Marianne, found Justins body in his bedroom with the
needle still in his arm the parents decided they had to
fight addiction in one of the few ways they knew how.
They took their private pain and made it public.
Justin lost his battle to anxiety and substance abuse
and succumbed to an accidental overdose, his obituary
in the Jan. 4 edition of the Asbury Park Press read.
Writing those words took determination.
The funeral home director sent the obituary back
three times to the family, asking if it needed to be corrected, Claude Thouret Jr., Justins father, said. He and
Marianne felt the funeral homes response was not so
much a rejection but a way of giving the grieving family opportunities to reconsider.
We wanted to make a difference in the world by
See HEROIN, Page 8A

DO YOU NEED HELP OR

KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES?
The Mental Health Association in New Jerseys NJ Connect for
Recovery provides a safe, free, confidential, nonjudgmental
place where New Jersey residents may call for support. The
hotline operates live, weekdays only, noon to 8 p.m. (Messages
left during off hours will be returned the next business day.)
The toll-free number is 855-652-3737 (TTY: 877-294-4356) and
the website address is www.njconnectforrecovery.org.
For more immediate help, the federal Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration runs a 24/7, 365-day-ayear hotline that can put callers in touch with local services.
The toll-free number is 800-662-HELP (4357) (800-487-4889
TDD). The web site address for finding local help is
https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

See NATURALIZE, Page 8A

14%
Increase in the
number of citizenship applications across the
United States for
the same time
period

Visit us online at APP.com

for videos and to read the
complete Children of Heroin series.

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asburyparkpress.

Rapper Macklemore asked

to raise awareness of prescription drug abuse. 1B

Photo left: Mazher Misbah (right) of Paterson, who immigrated from Bangladesh, becomes a
U.S. citizen during the May 12 naturalization ceremony. Photo right: Marina Perez, 72, of
Union City, from the Dominican Republic, became a citizen, too.

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VOLUME 137
NUMBER 116
SINCE 1879